


Roman and Not Juliet

by Hamiltalian



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Are Twins, Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, M/M, Prince Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Protective Deceit | Janus Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders, Trans Logic | Logan Sanders, Trans Male Character, Unsympathetic Morality | Patton Sanders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:08:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 36,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24184141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hamiltalian/pseuds/Hamiltalian
Summary: This is based more so on the Romeo x Juliet anime than it is on the play. Juliet is Logan, a trans man who doesn't know the truth about his past quite yet. He's a vigilante who protects the citizens from a tyrannical king. Romeo is Roman, the crown prince of the kingdom who hasn't yet come to terms with the fact that he likes men and hopes he'll be rid of those feelings before he marries the beautiful fiancee that his father picked out for him. In theory, the two should hate each other, but when they meet, they're both horrified to learn that it's love at first sight.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders
Comments: 13
Kudos: 39





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Logan is referred to as Juliet for a while as he's not out to Janus yet and because this chapter takes place while he's still a baby.

**14 Years Ago**

“Get them all! Don’t leave a single Capulet alive!” 

It was a night that would live on in history for years, one that the man who would be called king from then on made sure every one of his subjects knew about. Everyone in the kingdom may have known the tale, but none of them were there to see it firsthand, not like Janus and not like his young lady Juliet. But while the memory was burned into Janus’s mind, Juliet would never remember that night, for many reasons. 

The first reason was Juliet was only two years old on that night, the night that soon-to-be King Montague would slaughter Juliet’s entire family. 

“Sweep the entire castle! Make sure they’re dead, no matter how much you want them to suffer!” 

The second reason was Juliet didn’t witness most of the killing with her own eyes, thanks to Janus and his father. Janus was somewhat of an older brother to the young Capulet and, as the only person who could properly fill the role, he would later become her caretaker. Janus was only five at the time, but he knew exactly what he had to do the second he heard the screams. He’d hopped out of his bed and ran down to Juliet’s room, gently taking her from her crib and taking her into a secret room in the wall. It was a moment he’d been trained for since she’d been born, since he was three.

The room was only large enough to hold the two of them, after all, to avoid detection. It would’ve been cold if it hadn’t been stocked with blankets and there was a small supply of food, but he wasn’t focused on his own comfort. It was his job to make sure that Juliet stayed safe. Later that night, his father found the two and took them to a friend’s house, a secret friend’s house. The two men would later die for their crimes, but it was alright. Janus was thirteen by the time that would happen and he had a friend his age, a brother figure named Remy who owned the place and who helped keep Juliet hidden. 

Finally, Juliet would never remember this because nobody allowed the memory to stay alive, not in Juliet’s mind. Janus remembered what happened, his father had repeatedly made sure that Janus knew what his duties to Juliet would be as he got older, particularly once the young Capulet finally turned sixteen. But until then, Juliet was to be kept oblivious. The Capulet family was a family that greatly valued justice above all.

Well, almost above all.

Of course, knowledge was the truly greatest value, but that wasn’t what Janus was worried about. Juliet could have all the knowledge in the world, except for the knowledge that he was to keep in his own world. What Juliet wasn’t allowed to do was know the true history of the Capulet or even the fact that a single heir remained. Janus had to hide Juliet’s Capulet bloodline or be forced to be the one to stop Juliet from acting on the Capulet thirst for justice. Those were the rules he was given before his father died. 

However, this was a rule that Janus could let slide, as long as Juliet had a defender and a disguise. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just like in the last chapter, Logan is referred to by his deadname and wrong pronouns in Janus's point of view because he doesn't know

**Now**

The city square never was quiet, but it was becoming far too common for the noise to be coming from unnecessary brutality. The castle guards were cruel in their methods, and they had grown more so in recent months, and nobody seemed to know why, though many were suffering for it. This time, it was a young girl who was paying for it, her hands tied behind her back as she was sat to be executed. 

“Please! She didn’t do anything, leave her alone!” 

“I’m innocent, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” 

“Silence!” the guard called out. “This girl is being accused of being the last surviving member of the forbidden house. We have orders to execute her, unless somebody else may have reason to believe they know of a different member of the house?” 

But nobody did. Nobody knew such member of such a house. All that the citizens could do was cry out in protest, begging the guards to stop as they hope that their cries wouldn’t fall on deaf ears. 

And while the guards never listened, there was a different force that did, one that shot an arrow straight through the jaw of one of the guards, the citizens bursting into horrified screams.

“Damn it...” 

“You’re a little off your game today, aren’t you?” 

“Shut up.” 

Another arrow flew through the air and hit the eye of another guard this time, a cloaked figure following suit. 

“It’s the Blue Tropic!” someone shouted from the crowd. 

The vigilante sprinted forward, through the crowd and into the city square, drawing his sword and clashing his blade against those of the two remaining guards. 

As they fought, one of the citizens came forwards and helped the girl out of the ties and away from the guards, almost going unnoticed. 

“Hey!” 

“Uh oh...” 

The Blue Tropic took the opportunity to throw down a few smoke bombs, creating enough of a cover for him and his friend to get away without the guards following them. 

“You know, slow and steady doesn’t always win the race.” 

“Maybe you should've put up a more interesting fight, why is it always my fault?” 

“Because I’m the one with the name!” 

The two of them ran through the market and turned into an alley, fighting to catch their breath as they began trying to look less recognizable. 

“You’re lucky you get a full costume... It makes it so much easier to make yourself unrecognizable,” the shorter one said, pulling his friend’s deep blue cloak over his violet outfit. 

The other shrugged and helped his friend hide the hat on the underside of the cloak. “This entire operation was my idea, of course I made it easier for myself. Maybe you should’ve made your own costume ideas.” 

“Yeah, yeah...” 

“Let’s just head home. Janus is probably worried sick.”

“As he usually is.” 

The two of them went home and snuck past their host, heading up to the hidden home inside. They stopped at the door and looked at each other, silently agreeing to be as sneaky as they could before slowly opening the door. 

“You two are driving me insane!” the third man said as he marched right over to the door and dragged the younger two inside. “I’ve told you to stop going out without telling me!” 

The younger pulled himself free. “We’ll stop when those stupid guards stop arresting people for stupid shit like they do! I mean, a daughter of the forbidden house? They’re always bragging about how the king and his men slaughtered every last one of them, but the second they see a pretty girl they can’t push around, all of a sudden, there’s a survivor? Come on, Janus, we can’t just let them die.” 

Janus sighed and released his friend. “I understand, but you two are still kids yourselves. Virgil, you just turned thirteen and-” 

“I know,” Virgil grumbled. “He’s barely sixteen.” 

“I can speak for myself.” 

“Whatever... I’m going to get a snack.” Virgil walked away, leaving the other two to themselves. 

“Why do you insist on testing the limits of my blood pressure?” Janus asked. “I have you dress like a man for your own safety, not so you can dress up and actively put yourself in danger.” 

“You heard what Virgil said, we can’t just sit back and watch them execute people for nothing.” 

Janus sighed and began towards the stairs. “Come on.. Let’s just get you changed..” 

The other reluctantly followed Janus up to the room, changing into a simple gown with Janus’s help. 

“This must be so awkward for you every time.. I’m sorry we don't have any other women here to help you.” 

“I’m used to you helping me. I think it would be more awkward if you did bring in a strange woman to help me.”

Janus smiled and kissed his friend’s forehead afterwards. “Just hang in there for a few more days... Everything will make sense soon, Juliet.” 

Except she wasn’t Juliet. She wasn’t a woman. While he didn’t know how to say it, he knew he was a man. Logan, the name of the man who used to be a mere cover for true identity. Recently, it seemed the two names had their roles reversed. It was why he spent so much time outside, fighting crime and hanging out with Virgil. Outside, he could be dressed like the man he felt that he was. While Janus meant well in what he said, Logan didn’t need an explanation as to why he was “forced” to dress like a man, he just needed an excuse to keep it up forever. So, he found all sorts of excuses to at least leave and be free for a while at a time. For example-

“Hey, babes, don’t forget about the ball-” Remy paused as he saw Janus 

Janus jumped in front of Logan. “How many times have I asked you to knock?!” 

Remy shrugged. “Enough times for me to know that Juliet is a woman, so you really don't have to jump and shield her like that.” 

Janus glared at him until he left before turning back to Logan. “Now, what was he saying about a ball?”

Logan shrugged, trying to figure out the least suspicious way to word it. “I mean... Well, it’s hardly a ball. Remy said there’s just going to be some people meeting up and there's going to be music and-” 

“Why wasn’t I told about this?” 

“Because... I knew you’d freak out,” he said, trying to hide the real reason. “Look.. All I do here is hide and spar with Virgil. I just want a night out.. It’s a masquerade ball, nobody would ever recognize me...” 

Janus thought for a second and sighed. “I’m sorry... I know you’re probably so sick of hearing me say this, but I really don’t think it’s okay for you to go out in a gown, masquerade or not.. But I understand you feeling cooped up and if you’re still so eager to go out, even dressed as a man, it’s fine with me.” 

Logan allowed himself to show a small smile. “Thank you... I’m sorry for hiding it from you..” 

Janus shrugged. “I get it. I was your age too, once.” 

“You’re three years older than me.” 

“And three years wiser.” 

Logan just nodded, knowing it was pointless to argue. “I’m going to make sure my suit is good to wear, then.” This wasn’t going to be his first big event as a man, after all. Just the first without Janus.

“I’ll bring you up some dinner once I’m done.” Janus smiled at him and left.

Logan sighed and grabbed his suit before sitting at his desk, checking it over for any obvious wear. 

As he did that, Remy came back in, smiling sheepishly. “I”m really sorry about that, Lo... You get in too much trouble?” Remy was the only person who knew that he was a man, not counting Virgil. After all, Virgil didn’t know that his friend was born a girl. Remy was different too, just not quite in the same way. Remy loved men and while it wasn’t punished as harshly as it was when it got his father executed, it wasn’t exactly accepted.

“Surprisingly, no,” Logan hummed. “I was honest with Janus and he said he’s okay with me going out.”

Remy nodded, not quite sure he believed him. “You didn’t tell him what kind of ball this was, did you?” It was going to be an event purely for men like him and Logan, men who loved other men and who weren’t born to be men. They had balls at least every other month where everyone could be themselves as openly as they could while staying safe and this was going to be Logan’s first one. 

“Of course I didn’t... He doesn’t know that I’m... You know.. A man.” 

Remy gave him an understanding smile. “And he doesn’t have to know yet. You can tell him when you’re ready.”

Logan nodded. “How long did you take to tell anyone you were different?” 

Remy shrugged. “A while... But it can be harder for you, so there’s absolutely no rush.” 

“Thank you..” Logan smiled and turned back to his suit. “I should get back to this.. I’ll see you when it’s time to go. Don’t forget to tell Janus when we’re leaving.” 

“Got it, babes.” Remy left the room, shutting the door behind him and leaving Logan on his own. 

The second that the door was shut, Logan put down his work and sighed, scratching at the back of his neck. He always hated how his hair felt against the back of his neck. More accurately, he hated the reminder of how long it was. It was just so.... Feminine. It was definitely his most feminine trait, he’d been lucky enough to be blessed with a body that could be pretty easily disguised as male, but Janus assumed that Logan would love to grow out his hair because of it. Logan was supposed to be a woman living in a house full of men, of course Janus would think that he’d want to savor this last bit of femininity, but it was more of a painful reminder than anything. The gowns, he didn’t mind nearly as much. It was so easy not to think about them, to pretend he was just wearing sleeping robes or whatever helped him feel better. His hair, however... That was so hard not to notice when it was outside of his masculine wig. But Janus couldn’t know his secret, not yet. He wasn’t ready. So, he just dealt with it, tying it up in a knot on top of his head and working on his suit until Janus came back up with food. 

“Remy says he wants you two to leave as soon as you’re done eating..” 

Logan nodded. “He says that with the time that the ball is starting, it’ll be best to leave sooner. That way, we’ll get there at the same time as everyone else and we’ll blend in more easily.” 

“Remy's smarter than he acts sometimes,” Janus commented with a laugh. 

Logan smiled a bit at that. Remy was kind of an airhead most of the time, but he had his moments, particularly when it had to do with Logan. 

“Do you mind if I stay up here while you eat? That way I can help you get dressed once you’re finished and you two can leave that much sooner.” 

“Racing to get rid of me, are you?” Logan joked. 

Janus laughed and shook his head. “I’m just trying to let you be a teenager... It’ll be hard to let you have fun after your birthday...” 

Logan turned and looked at him quizzically. He’d heard time and time again that he’d have an explanation for why he’d been forced to dress as a man, but he’d never heard anything about not being able to have fun or be a teenager. 

“I’m sorry.. There’s no way you’re not curious about that, but I can’t tell you.. I shouldn’t have said anything, you should just focus on how much fun you’re going to have tonight.” 

“No... I want to know what you were going to say. It’s like you always say, I’m almost sixteen, I’m almost old enough to know all these secrets, you can at least let a little one slip for now.” 

Janus sighed and smiled. There was that thirst for knowledge. It had become an obstacle for him more times than he’d originally planned, but his Juliet was usually easily sated. “It’s only two more days now. You can wait a couple more days, can’t you? Or are you going to go ahead and spoil all of my years of keeping this to myself?” 

Logan huffed and turned back around, knowing that Janus was right. As much as Logan hated to admit it, Janus likely had a pretty good reason for keeping things hidden from him, the least he could do was let Janus fulfill his time limit. “Fine..”

“Thank you.” Janus stepped behind him and began playing with his hair, making Logan immediately lose his appetite. But, he didn’t say anything, not wanting to seem suspicious. 

“I always did love your hair...” Janus hummed. “It feels like the one thing I can bond over you with alone.. Remy knows you’re a girl, you can talk to him about whatever things you don’t want to talk to me about and I’m almost certain you have..” 

That was for sure. 

“You don’t like talking about any other girly things, you don’t go out enough to meet any boys, though I’m sure Remy would be the one you’d talk to if that did happen.” 

“Of course not,” Logan said. “You know so much about me, it only makes sense that you’d know that too.” Logan hated keeping secrets from Janus, which is glad he felt himself attracted to other men. One less secret to keep. 

“You don’t have to flatter me,” Janus joked. “I may know a lot, but I know I don’t know everything. I”m not upset about it, you are getting a little older and I know I’m not really a parent figure to you, you don’t have to tell me everything. You especially don’t have to pretend that you do.” 

Logan nodded, but he couldn’t help but feel guilty. Janus practically raised him from the time he was a little kid, he wasn’t used to keeping secrets from him, not this big. Hopefully soon, he’d have the courage to come clean. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for Patton being homophobic, which may or may not change over time

After dinner, Logan got dressed with Janus’s help and went downstairs to meet Remy in his own black and white ensemble. 

“Wow, you look stunning, Juliet- Oh! Or, should I say Logan,” he added with a dramatic wink, acting as though calling him Logan wasn’t instinctive by now. 

Logan just laughed awkwardly and pulled him towards the door. “We should just go... We’ll try not to be too late, Janus.” 

“As long as you come back alive, I’m sure I won’t be too upset,” he joked, seeing the two out the door before sighing. The young Capulet was growing up way too fast for his liking. 

“So.. Where is this ball again?” Logan asked as he and Remy pulled on their cloaks. Janus was under the impression that they’d be going in a carriage, but Remy said the location was too secret for that. 

“It’s a little courtyard by the palace, we should get there on foot as it’s starting up.” 

Logan scrunched up his nose in disgust. “By the palace?.. Does that mean there’s going to be stupid nobles there?” 

Remy nudged him a bit. “Hey, I’m meeting one of those stupid nobles. And it’s a pretty big mix of people, but our host likes to change the venue regularly to keep the guards off of his tail. After all, he lives in the palace himself, it wouldn’t look too great if he got caught leading this kind of event.” 

Logan almost stopped in his tracks. “Someone from the palace?.. A royal is holding these balls and you don’t ever stop to think that it may be some sort of trap?” 

“Relax,” Remy said, drawing out the ‘a’ as he grabbed Logan’s arm to pull him along. “He’s holding the balls because he’s one of us, genius. He’s a real weirdo, I heard Montague disqualified him from the crown or something.” 

“I did not get disqualified, you know that's a stupid rumor! You were always the older twin,” said royal argued as his attempted to get his brother to join him. “Come on, there’s going to be a lot of cute guys there.” 

“Why would I want to go to an event for cute guys?” the prince asked. “I’m already betrothed to a lovely woman, I don’t even like men. I’m like you.” Homosexuality may have been a little more accepted amongst the commoners, but in the palace? It was unacceptable. That’s why this secret stayed between the two of them and a select few others. 

“Please, brother dear, I’ve noticed you staring at a lot of servants as they walk away from you, I know better than that.” He flopped onto his brother’s bed. “Come on, it’ll be a lot of fun. If you regret it, I’ll do your paperwork for a week.” 

The prince sighed and thought it over. He really couldn’t hide anything from his brother, so he knew there would be no getting him to stop insisting that he liked men. Still, could he trust any kind of event that he put together? 

“I’ll make it a month.” 

“You’ve got a deal.” 

The royal grinned and got up, heading for the door. “I’ll be ready in a few. If you’re not changed by then, I will drag you out half dressed. Do not doubt me.” 

“Remus!” the prince called as his brother opened the door. “Um... How do I know you aren’t just tricking me?” 

Remus shrugged. “What would I have to gain from that?” He looked around the hallway to make sure nobody was listening in. “If it makes you feel better, you should know that you’re not the only friend of mine who’d enjoy something like this. Emile has a cute little commoner boy that he meets at these kinds of things.” 

“Emile?... Now I know you have to be lying. He seriously doesn’t seem like that kind of man,” the prince said, trying to laugh it off. 

“Roman. If you learn anything tonight, it’ll be not to judge a book by its cover.” And with that, Remus left the room, leaving his brother to pick out his outfit. 

Roman sighed and began looking through his closet. He wanted to wear something that would help him blend in with the crowd, but it was a little difficult to find something like that when you’re a prince. 

As he searched, he heard the door open behind him. 

“Roman?.. Hey, buddy, what are you doing? I saw Remus coming out of here looking a little too happy.” 

“Patton..” Roman muttered under his breath. There was an unfortunately short list of people who he believed he could trust with his secret, but Patton was lucky enough to be on that list. “I’m going out with Remus tonight... He’s holding a ball and he said it would do me some good to get out.” 

Patton scrunched up his nose in disgust, sending Roman into an internal panic. “You mean, like... For men who like other men?..” 

Now, Roman knew he had to treat lightly. “I mean... Yeah, but it’s not like I’m one of them,” he said with a nervous laugh. “He just wants to get me outside of the palace walls and you know how relentless he is, he wouldn’t take no for an answer.” 

“This seems like a pretty crazy thing to force you into doing... Are you sure you’re going to be okay there? What if one of them tries to flirt with you?”

“Remus says he takes a lot of precautions to minimize any harassment. What they’re doing may not be right, but that doesn’t mean they’ll commit a different crime.” 

“I should go with you..” 

Roman shook his head and picked out an outfit, a subtle scarlet ensemble. “I’ll be safe, I promise. If anything happens to me after, I’ll never go to one of these again. Seriously, I should get ready, Remus threatened to drag me out half dressed if I wasn’t ready by the time he got back.” 

Patton frowned. “I’m just worried about you.. You’re the crown prince. He’s the king’s disgrace.” 

“Only I can call him that,” Roman said, almost a little too harshly. “He’s still my brother.” 

“Just... Let me know if you change your mind.. I’ll keep this trip a secret, but if you get hurt, someone has to know.” He stepped out and shut the door behind him, giving Roman just enough time to change before Remus came bursting back in.

“Are you ready to go?” 

“I guess I am... How are we going to get out of here without being noticed?”

“Don’t worry about that, I’ve taken care of everything. We can just go,” Remus said, going and grabbing his brother’s arm before dragging him out of the room and out of the palace. It was a short carriage ride to their destination and, once they got there, Remus began walking towards, presumably, a back entrance. 

“Wait, you can’t follow me,” he said as he saw that Roman was still trailing behind him. “You go inside here and have your own fun.” 

“Wait, this wasn’t part of the deal!” Roman hissed as his brother started to leave him. “You didn’t say I’d be alone!” 

Remus groaned. “Just look for Emile, if you want to be around someone. He should be wearing white and blue or pink, I don’t know. But you’ll be fine, there’s nothing for you to be scared of.” 

“What about the fact that I’m going to be at an event full of total strangers?!

“Byee!” Remus said as disappeared around the corner, leaving Roman to fend for himself. 

Roman groaned and went back around to the main entrance, just like everyone else. Immediately, he began searching for his friend, Emile Picani. 

It took a few minutes, but he eventual did find him searching the place, probably looking for the companion that Remus had mentioned. 

“Roman?” he asked when he noticed his friend. “Wait, what are you doing here?”

“Remus made me come here.. It seems like I really can’t hide anything from my brother.” he admitted. Obviously, he was a bit embarrassed about his secret, but he felt safe sharing it with Emile, who was in the same shoes as him. “Is it true that you’re meeting someone here?” 

Emile smiled. “Yes... He’s a commoner and he may not be the sweetest boy, but I really like him..” 

“Not the sweetest?” Roman asked curiously. He’d been so used to trying to force himself to like women that he wasn’t sure what mattered besides how sweet someone was anymore. 

“He has a pretty sharp mouth, but I know he has a good heart..” Emile seemed to practically swoon as he talked about his sweetheart. 

It made Roman smile. He’d never felt like that about anyone and he wasn’t sure he ever would, not when he was already set to get married on his seventeenth birthday, which was coming up far too quickly. All he could do was be glad for his friends, it wasn’t their fault that he couldn’t accept his own feelings. “That’s very romantic... But, I have to ask, how can you be so sure about that?” 

Emile shrugged. “When I look into his eyes, I just know.. It’s hard to explain. I’m sorry you can’t feel that way about your betrothed..” 

Roman’s smile fell for a second. “Don’t apologize. Remus said I can’t help but feel this way, so that’s something, right? It’s just fate’s doing.” 

Emile reached over and squeezed his shoulder a bit. “Don’t be so upset, Roman... I’m sure fate has something else in store for you.” 

“Thank you.. You should go look for your beloved,” Roman said, pulling his hand off and walking away. He didn’t want to think about that, how he never would know what love really feels like. It may have seemed like something feminine, but it was something he was always looking forward to as a child. Now, as he neared adulthood, he started to accept that it just wasn’t something meant for him. 


	4. Chapter 4

“So, Logan, how mad would you be if I left you alone here?” Remy asked as the two neared the venue. 

“What? I’d be pretty mad! Didn’t you say women are strictly forbidden from this ball?” Women like them had their own ball during the alternating months. 

“Yeah, but you’re no woman. You’re a man, Logan. I know it, you know it, and if anyone says otherwise, you better make sure that they learn it.” 

“What if they call me an imposter?..” 

Remy grabbed his shoulders, looking him in the eye. “You are not an imposter. Don’t forget what I said, you’re not the only man here who was born like you were. There’s bound to be at least a few others who haven’t allowed themselves to show it. You are one of us. Don’t forget it.” 

Logan relaxed a bit and nodded. “I’m sorry..” 

“Don’t be. Everyone has doubts, that doesn’t make you any less what you know you are.” Remy smiled and lead him all the way to the entrance of the ball before starting to leave him. “You’re going to do great! If you don’t see me at the end of the night, just go home, but I’ll try to find you!” he said before disappearing amongst the crowd, leaving Logan on his own. 

“Damn it, Remy...” he muttered to himself before looking around. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he hoped he’d find something or someone to latch onto. 

Logan began wandering around, taking in the scenery. With at least a hundred lanterns hanging from the ceiling in a circular pattern mimicking a rainbow, and men of different shapes, sizes, and, judging by their clothes, social backgrounds filling the area, it was intimidating and exciting all at the same time, making Logan’s heart soar. 

At the same time, Prince Roman felt his own heart pounding in his chest. There were so many people, he’d be afraid of being recognized if it weren’t for the gold mask covering most of his face. He was terrified of being found out and yet, he couldn’t have been more glad about Remus dragging him there. Everyone was laughing, cheering, speaking freely which they surely couldn’t most of the time and Roman could still hear the band playing over them all, the music lighting up the room almost as much as the lanterns. 

It was so bright... So beautiful and now that Logan was letting go of his fear, he was letting himself enjoy it. He was letting himself belong. 

Roman was letting himself be free. Even if he wasn’t allowed to like men 99 percent of the time, these few days, he wouldn't let anyone take the experience away. Of course, he’d never admit it out loud. 

Logan’s biggest fear was his relationship with Janus being torn apart over the fact that he was a man, but now, he felt like he had nothing to fear, no reason to lie to himself about who he was. 

Roman couldn’t keep lying about who he’d love. 

Logan swore that one day, he’d live as the man he was. 

With the man that he loved. The vision he’d denied himself for so long. 

Some day, he’d see the vision, not just in his mind, but right before his-

Eyes. In that moment, Roman knew that he’d never forget those blue eyes. 

Someone was staring at him, meeting his gaze and, in that moment, Logan didn’t know how to care. 

Roman grew up believing that his admiration for the same sex was wrong, but at that moment, nothing could feel more right. 

Logan felt his face grow almost as red as the suit on the man he was staring at. This feeling was so new and intense and scarier than just being there. 

Something about it just felt so right. Roman could tell that this wasn’t something he could just ignore, something he could run away from. So, he took the first step forward, hesitantly extending his arm out towards the other. “Would you care to dance?..” 

Oh, god, he hadn’t even met this other man and Logan as already about to make a fool out of himself. “I don’t really know how to dance..” He never liked to dance, not at any kind of events that Janus had taken him to. He mainly just stayed to the side of everything with Virgil. It just felt so weird, so... fake to dance the woman’s part as he assumed Janus would have him do. 

“Oh.. Well, we don’t have to dance well to have fun, do we?” Roman asked, laughing to himself. “I just think it’ll be fun, I’m not going to make fun of you.” 

And, for some reason, Logan was compelled to believe him. He hesitated for a second before taking this stranger’s hand, letting the other pull him closer. “Are you a good dancer?” 

Roman almost laughed at that. Of course he was a good dancer, he was the crown prince. He couldn't count how many balls or other events he’d be forced to go to every year. But, of course, his partner here wouldn’t know any of that. “You could say that.” He put his hand on the other’s waist and began moving them across the dance floor, being careful to be slow enough for him to keep up. “Forgive me if this sounds weird, but... I really love your eyes..” 

Logan blushed and fought back an awkward smile. “Why would that be weird? It’s a sweet compliment.” 

Roman shrugged a bit. “I don’t know... I’ve never been to this kind of thing, I’m not sure what it’s like here.” 

“Me neither.. One of my friends just thought I’d fit in.” 

“Friend? Try brother for me,” Roman admitted with a heavy sigh and a laugh. “But.. I think he was onto something. It is really nice in here and I never would’ve seen those blue eyes of yours if I’d just stayed home.” 

Logan felt his face burn brighter. He’d never had a man flirt with him, he was always disguised as a man himself, but those comments felt so sweet and sincere, he didn’t know how to react. 

“Can I get a name to go with those eyes?” 

And with that, Logan’s face went from red to white, though he wasn't sure the other would be able to tell under the colorful lights. Remy promised nobody would ask that kind of thing unless he’d planned on seeing him again, it was one promise that really helped convince him to go. But this guy was new too, right? It wasn’t like he was breaking this unspoken rule, so it would be weird of Logan to act like he knew the rules better. 

“You don’t have to-” 

“My name is Virgil,” he said before realizing what he’d done. “I mean...” 

“Virgil.. It’s a cute name. And to even the score, I’m Ro... Meo. Romeo.” He’d gotten about halfway through the sentence before he realized that someone having the same name as the crown prince and wearing the same colors would seem more than suspicious. 

“Romeo.. It’s nice to meet you,” Logan hummed, smiling. 

“It’s nice to meet you too..” Roman said. As they twirled around the dance floor, Roman began noticing a glare catching his eyes. He changed the direction of their dance and looked up, noticing Remus watching him from a balcony. 

Remus waved as his brother finally noticed him and did a few hip thrusts, knowing that Roman would understand. 

Roman blushed madly and glared back at him. 

“I something wrong?” Logan asked, turning to see what Roman was glaring at. 

“No! I mean-” 

Logan tutted as he immediately spotted what was happening. “Stupid nobles.. They think they can get away with anything.” He huffed and turned back to Romeo. “Just ignore him, we shouldn’t let him ruin our night.” 

Roman laughed a bit and nodded. “You’re right... S.. Stupid nobles.” 

Logan smiled. “You don’t have to pretend to hate them all like that, I know my views on the matter might freak some people out..” 

Did it freak out Roman, the crown prince of the kingdom, to know that he was dancing with someone he fell in love with at first sight, Virgil, who apparently had an intense hatred for the upper class? Yes. Yes it did. “I’m sorry... I get where you’re coming from, I guess I’m just a little sheltered.” 

“I understand that feeling,” Logan muttered, more annoyed by the fact than anything. 

“You do?..” 

Logan shrugged. “Not in the same way you do.. I.. Nevermind. Forget about it, I don’t really want to talk about it when I’m supposed to be just letting loose and having fun..” 

Roman smiled. Now, there was something he could understand. “You don’t have to say anything. It’s like you said, we should just enjoy the night.” 

Logan nodded and let the hours fly by as the two of them danced. 

Over the next few hours, the two boys moved across the dance floor in a clumsy harmony, ignoring everybody else in the room. There were no other men smiling at them, overjoyed to see a young couple freely enjoying themselves. There was no Remus watching over them, trying to catch Roman’s eyes with crude gestures. There were just two teenagers falling in love over a night of music and learning how to dance. It almost seemed too perfect, but everything had to end eventually. 

It was almost three in the morning when everything ended, which Logan would definitely regret the next morning. He’d never really stayed up that late, he’d never had a reason to. Roman wouldn't be as surprised, he’d had his fair share of late night parties before. But even three in the morning felt like it came too soon as the rest of the couples began dissipating and the music reached its end. 

Neither of them actually noticed it until someone bumped into Roman on accident, pulling them out of their world. 


	5. Chapter 5

“Oh, everyone’s starting to leave..” Logan muttered, visibly disappointed. 

Roman glanced up at his brother, who simply held up a pocket watch and shrugged. “I guess everything’s ending..” 

“Well, this sucks..” Logan huffed. “I was... Actually enjoying myself here with you, Romeo. You’re an excellent dance partner.” 

Roman smiled and let go of his dance partner’s waist, keeping his hand in his own. “Thanks.. So are you. I’d love to meet you here again or even somewhere else?.. I can accept a goodbye for now, but two months without those eyes? Unbearable.” 

Logan pushed back a giddy smile. His emotions were not working with him, he didn’t want to fall in love, especially not with someone he’d only known for a few hours. “I don’t know.. I’m sorry, I had a really nice night, but I’m not ready for any kind of relationship right now... I do like you, but I’m not ready..” 

Roman’s smile fell. Sure, Virgil’s words implied that something could happen in the future, but how long would this relationship even be an option for Roman? Obviously, the other wouldn’t know this, but he was to be married in less than a year. The last thing he wanted was to say that out loud and rush this guy into something he wasn't comfortable with yet, but his time was so limited. 

Logan thought for a few seconds. Would Janus really be all that upset if he found someone who liked him with his male disguise? Or, better yet, did Janus really have to know about this? After all, Logan was about to turn 16 and Janus had his own fair share of secrets. He may not have been ready to fall in love, but he was ready to make a few bad choices of his own. He carefully pulled his hand from Romeo’s and began twisting off a ring from his finger. “It’s costume jewelry, but if I see you in town wearing it, maybe we can speak for a few minutes. Not as lovers, but as friends.” 

Roman didn’t have the heart to say that Virgil wouldn’t be seeing him around town. “What if I don’t see you?.. Even if I stay outside in the areas with as many people as I can find, there’s no guarantee that I’ll see you.” 

Logan shrugged and took Romeo’s hand, slipping the ring onto his finger. “We’ll always have these nights. It’s not ideal, but it’s something, right?” 

“I suppose..” 

“The way I see it, if something is meant to happen, there’ll always be a way for it to happen. And if you feel what I think you’re feeling,” which Logan was using as code for ‘feeling what I’m feeling’, “We’ll definitely meet again before the two months are up.” 

The definitely did not cheer Roman up on it’s own, but the sweet sound of hope in the other’s voice definitely did. “I hope you’re right..” he said jokingly. 

Logan smiled and glanced past Roman’s shoulder, blushing as he saw Remy watching him. “I have to go... I’ll see you soon.” He leaned forward and kissed Romeo’s cheek before running off with his friend. 

“See you soon..” Roman echoed under his breath, sighing as Virgil left. He felt like he couldn’t wait two days to see him again, much less two months. He tried his best to be a good and patient prince, but when it came to something as important as the person under that silver mask, he wasn’t much better than a frustrated toddler. 

“Have fun?” Emile asked as he reached his friend. 

Roman just nodded, toying with his new ring and staring into its gem. 

Emile smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, leading the dazed teenager towards the back. “I know that look... Tell me all about him.” 

Roman sighed dreamily. “Where do I begin?” 

He hardly knew anything about this boy, yet he was able to spend the entire trip home ranting about him without repeating a single detail. He only managed to feel the exhaustion that came with such a late night once he snuck back into his room and changed into his sleeping clothes, leaving the ring beneath his pillow, not wanting to risk anybody else seeing and asking about it. As he closed his eyes to repeat his wonderful night in his dreams, a single phrase played in his mind. 

So, this is love. 

Logan didn’t know what time he woke up the next morning. All he knew was that he still hadn’t gotten enough sleep. While Remy had been merciful enough to not ask any details about his night, Janus was less than pleased to see the two coming home at almost four in the morning. If he was being honest with himself, though, Logan stopped paying attention after the first thirty seconds or so of his lecture. Without the excitement of doing something new with someone who he felt terrifyingly exciting new feelings for, he had no reason to stay completely conscious. The only thing he remembered was stepping inside, a few vague moments of Janus lecturing him and Remy, and the moment as he dropped himself into bed, still wearing his clothes from the night before. He sat up and looked down to see that he was, in fact, still in his clothes from the night before. He sighed and got up, changing into something simple before starting to go downstairs, stopping as he saw the food on the floor by his door that Janus must’ve left. He smiled and took it inside, thinking to himself as he ate. 

There was one memory in Logan’s mind that stuck out from the previous night. The guy he was dancing with, Romeo, if memory served, really seemed to like him and Logan would be lying if he said the interest wasn’t mutual. He didn’t know what it was, but there was something about him that made Logan’s heart pound the second he started thinking about him, something that started the second that their eyes locked. What was it, was it the utter euphoria that came with being seen as the guy that he was by a stranger his age? No, he definitely felt that way before they started talking. Was it seeing someone who was his age there? No, again, there was definitely something before Logan was sure that they were the same age and there were a lot of others who looked to be around his age, like that stupid royal. 

So what was it? It wasn't making any sense? 

Logan was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard a knock on his door. 

“Hey, it’s me, Remy. I saw that you took the breakfast Janus left you, can I come in?” 

“Yeah, of course,” he responded, watching Remy as he came through the door. 

“Hey, man, I just wanted to check up on you, you slept in pretty late.” 

“And you didn’t?” 

Remy shrugged and sat on his bed. “I guess I’m used to it. I also wanted to ask about that boy you were dancing with all night,” he admitted once he was sure it was safe to speak. 

Logan felt his face heat up against his will. What even was this?! “What about him?”

“You don’t have to hide it around me, I saw how you two were looking at each other from,” he teased. 

“We were all in masquerade masks.” 

Remy rolled his eyes. “Well, I still know. And there’s no shame in having a crush, you’re almost 16.” 

Logan put down the orange he was peeling and turned around, curious. “What are you talking about?” 

Remy stared at him for at least a good thirty seconds. “You’re kidding, right?” 

Logan shook his head. “I don’t want to like him like that, therefore, I won’t.”

“Oh my god... I feel so bad for whoever that poor boy was,” he laughed. “I mean, I wasn’t within seeing range most of the time, but when I was, I really saw something between you, something romantic! You were laughing, you were dancing, and you were holding him...” Remy smiled and sighed. “Emile said you guys reminded him of us..” 

“Right...” Logan turned back to his breakfast. “Well, even if there was something there, I don’t have time for dating. When Janus isn’t keeping me here, I do have things to do, you know that.” 

“That makes it even better! I mean, the vigilante in love?” 

Logan rolled his eyes. “That reminds me, can you tell Virgil to get ready? I have a feeling we should go and check things out today..” 

Remy rolled his eyes and got up. It seemed like there wasn’t going to be any getting through to his friend any time soon. “Alright, I’m on it. You know, the only thing that could make the story better is if he were, like, a dashing prince or something.” 

Logan scoffed. “Please... I’d rather die than fall in love with a royal.” 

“He did not say that!” Remus insisted as his brother continued pacing around his room. 

“No, but it was definitely implied..” Roman stopped and glared at his brother, seemingly the only thing he’d stop his panicking to do. “You didn’t help with that little hip thrust moment of yours.” 

“What? You weren’t going to make a move on your own, I thought I’d nod you into the right direction.” 

Roman groaned. “That’s the thing! I want to do more than just get him in bed. I wanted to take him out and really learn about him.. I wanted to get as close as I could to courting him..” 

Remus stayed silent for a few seconds to let his brother enjoy his fantasies before deciding that it was too boring. “And you’re still denying that you’re a homosexual.” 

“That’s not the point here!” Roman sighed and flopped onto his brother’s bed. “The point is I went out like you wanted, I met a really nice guy, probably fell in love with him, and now I’m certain I’m never going to be able to show my real face around him. So, I regret it and you have to do my work for a month.” 

Remus rolled his eyes and flopped on top of his brother, ignoring his protests. “You, brother dear, are royally fucked.” 

Roman silenced his whining and just nodded. 

“You want my advice?” 

“Your advice sucks...” 

“This probably isn’t worth your time. I know you, I know if you keep trying and you get hurt, somebody will notice and then you’ll really be in trouble.” 

“Are you serious?.. I mean, I felt like we had a real connection... I mean, what if I talk to him and-” 

“Roman. Trust me.” 

Roman fell silent. If anybody knew what he was talking about, it was Remus. “Did someone hurt you?..” 

Remus just shrugged. This was just advice, as far as he’d let himself believe. Nobody got hurt, nobody got anybody almost killed, nobody had to be killed for what they’d done. As far as Roman knew, it was just advice. 

“Why don’t we just call for breakfast?” Remus suggested. 

“Only if you let me up.” 

Roman spent the rest of the morning thinking about the boy he met at the ball. He seemed so intelligent and so kind, until it came to nobility. He felt so in love with him and he barely knew him, yet he felt like he knew everything about him. His name probably wasn’t even Virgil and Roman didn’t care about that. All he cared about was knowing that he’d see him again in two months, at most. 

Unfortunately, Roman found himself feeling so distracted by his own thoughts that he didn’t even bother listening to the briefing his father gave him about some kind of parade happening that day. Something about a fourteen year mark of something or whatever. It didn’t matter. Either way, he always traveled with one of his friends and they always knew what was going on. Roman never thought he’d be upset about it, but, this time, it was Patton who was joining him. 


	6. Chapter 6

“So, what is this even for?..” Roman asked as they walked through the palace together. 

Patton frowned a bit at that. Roman may not have always listened, but he did seem distracted and, considering what had just happened, it was a bit worrying. “Today is the fourteen year anniversary of the day King Montague took over. Remember? He always holds a parade to celebrate liberating the citizens from the tyrant.”

“Oh! Right..” Roman laughed sheepishly. “Sorry, I feel like I hardly got any sleep last night..” 

Patton looked around a bit before leaning in a bit. “Did something happen last night?..” 

Yes, something happened last night. Something absolutely amazing and tragic and Roman didn’t want anything more than to rant all about it and all about... Him, but he knew that Patton wasn’t the one to talk to about it. “No, nothing special,” he shrugged. “Remus just forgot to warn me how late the event was going to go.” 

“Remus is always up to no good...” Patton muttered to himself. “I’m sorry, I know he’s your brother, I just get this weird feeling around him, like something bad is going to happen..” 

Roman shrugged. “I think everyone gets that from him. He’s not a bad guy, he just follows his own path, you know? He won’t let anyone tell him who he can or can’t be. I actually kind of respect that.” 

“Don’t forget where that got him... I don't mean to be harsh about it, but he’s not exactly a role model.” 

Roman wasn’t sure what he was angry about - the fact that Patton was talking like that about his brother or the fact that it was true, his brother was hated for being his own person. Either way, he stayed silent for the rest of the walk down to the carriages. 

Once they got down there, they got in theirs and waited for the parade to begin. For the most part, it was the same boring parade that Roman had been forced to participate in since before he could remember. It was all smiles and waves and blowing a few playful kisses at the maidens in the crowds. 

And then they made their way out of the town. Ordinarily, their carriages would use a back path to circle back to the palace and continue on with the day, so when they began turning away, that was the first red flag. 

“Excuse me,” Roman quickly piped up. “This isn’t our usual path, is something wrong?” 

There was no response from the person leading the carriage, just a crack of the reins and a burst of speed from the horses, yanking the prince and his friend out of the back of the line and towards the woods. 

Now, Roman would have loved to say that he had some sort of brave, “manly” response to the situation. He knew his way around a sword and he’d taken some classes in hand-to-hand combat, but this wasn’t hand-to-hand combat, this was a kidnapping. So, all he and Patton could do was cling to each other and scream. 

“I knew something was up..” Logan muttered as he watched this happen from a tree branch. “You still have a basic idea on how to drive a carriage, right?” 

Virgil shrugged a bit. “Eh.. It might be a rough trip.” 

Logan stood up a bit as the carriage got closer to them. “As long as it’s survivable. Come on, we have to jump on my mark.” 

“It better be an accurate mark.” 

Logan shrugged. “I do my best.” He locked his eyes on the carriage as it came racing down the wooded path, holding Virgil’s hand. “Ready?..” 

Virgil sighed and tightened his grip on Logan’s hand. “As close as I can get...” 

Logan acknowledged that with a nod and carefully calculated the exact moment where the carriage would be underneath them and the exact moment he had to jump in order to land on it, taking a deep breath. “Now!” 

He and Virgil jumped and landed on the carriage roof. It definitely wasn’t their most graceful landing, but hey, they both made it. 

Virgil peered over the front and was glad to see that the man driving the carriage hadn’t even noticed that they were there. Using the element of surprise, he jumped down and snatched the reins from his hands, a task that was way easier than it should’ve been. 

“What the hell?!” the bandit cried out as Virgil landed on top of him, letting go of the reins. 

Virgil rolled his eyes and kicked him off, working on slowing down the horses. “Duck for cover!” he shouted back into the carriage. 

As he did, Logan swung himself down over the edge and into the carriage through a now broken window, expecting to see at least one more thug in there. He was almost disappointed to see that it was just the two nobles. 

“Wait, there’s no other bad guy? Was this a solo act?” he asked, reasonably surprised. 

“Oh god, he’s going to kill us!” Patton cried out, clinging to his friend for dear life. 

Roman held him and glared up at the vigilante standing before them. “I’m the crown prince, I’m the one you want! Let my friend go safely and take me!” 

Logan rolled his eyes. “I’m not the one behind this, I’m the one who stopped that idiot from running you into the woods.” He began turning towards the carriage door and noticed that they hadn’t slowed down too much. He frowned and glanced out at Virgil. “Hey, why aren’t we slowing down?..” 

“We’ve got company, a few on horseback chasing us down,” Virgil said. “Get my bow and arrows. Your aim sucks, but it’s better than making you jump from horse to horse.” 

“My aim does not suck,” Logan argued as he did just that before trying to open the back window. “Does this thing even open?..” 

“No..” Patton said meekly. 

Logan groaned and motioned for the two to move away before smashing it open. He stood with one leg on the seat to steady himself as he leaned towards the window, looking back at his targets. Simple enough, two men on horseback, probably one for each boy, though, looking at these two nobles, Logan was pretty sure they were overestimating this job’s difficulty. He grabbed an arrow and aimed it, hoping he wouldn’t embarrass himself too much as he released it. 

He was aiming for the face, but he quickly learned that a leg was also acceptable as the first guy fell off of his horse. “Remind me to get some more practice with this thing,” he told Virgil as he loaded a second arrow. 

“If you’re wasting my arrows back there, I will sell you to those morons chasing us!” Virgil snapped back, almost taking his eyes off of the road. 

Logan chose not to comment as his second arrow completely missed. Instead, he loaded another arrow and shot it, cursing as it almost hit the horse. “Slow this thing down! I can’t get the second guy if he’s a mile behind!” 

“I count my arrows,” Virgil warned, starting to slow the carriage down. 

As he did, the other thug seemed to stop seeing the arrows as any sort of threat and started speeding up, almost catching up to the carriage before Logan finally managed to sink an arrow into his shoulder. 

“Alright, it’s clear,” Logan called out, letting himself relax for a moment before turning towards the two noblemen in the car. “Are either of you hurt? I know there was a lot of glass flying.” 

“We’re fine, no thanks to you,” Roman said with a glare. “This kingdom was peaceful until you showed up and provoked all of these criminals!” 

Logan raised an eyebrow. “Provoked? The majority of what I do is rescuing citizens who are being treated like slaves by your father’s men. Two days ago, they were attacking women for supposedly being part of the slaughtered house of Capulet.” 

“Yeah? Well two wrongs don’t make a right.” 

Logan didn’t even know how to respond to that. At that point, it sounded like basic stupidity. Legally, killing a guard was worse than the guards killing a citizen, but how was it right that the life of a brutal, corrupt palace guard was worth more than an innocent citizen? 

Roman knew that. He wasn’t stupid, he was just stubborn. What he didn’t understand was why this Blue Tropic was being so calm with them when all he’d heard were tales of him being a cruel man, a sadist who lived on fear. He began attempting to see what was truly behind those eyes, a man or a monster, but something stopped him. Those weren’t just eyes. Those were the eyes, the eyes of the man he’d danced away the night with just a few hours ago. This was it, this was fate bringing them together! 

“We can escort you two to the palace walls, but we will not risk being caught. Do you understand?” 

Roman’s quickly rising heart immediately plummeted back down as he realized who he was talking to. This was the Blue Tropic, known for hating the entire upper class. He was the crown prince, the definition of upper class. But... Maybe that was why they were meeting again. Maybe this was fate giving him a chance to be brave enough to tell his truth, to see if their connection was strong enough to overcome the other’s hatred. 

“Do you understand?” Logan repeated, more sternly. He didn’t have time for this. 

Patton nodded. “Yeah, sorry... There’s just a lot of horror stories about you, you seem so... Not awful?..” 

“I’m only awful for those who deserve it. Don’t make me believe you deserve it.” 

“Yes sir...” 

Roman just nodded. He wasn’t sure he could speak coherently right now. 

Logan nodded back at them and turned back to Virgil. “Come on, let’s go to where all of the other carriages were turning back at the edge of the town and follow that path.” 

“That’s literally what I was going to do,” Virgil muttered as he started doing that. 

Logan wiped the glass off of the seat in the corner farthest from the other two before sitting down, still holding Virgil’s bow. He wanted to give the other two some space after all that had just happened, plus he absolutely did not like them and didn’t want to risk saying anything he’d regret. 

It was about fifteen minutes before they ran into other, less ransacked royal carriages. Logan had Virgil slow to a stop, but didn’t let the other two off until they assured him that they knew the people who were riding over. Well, at least, until the little blue one told him. Prince Roman was still a near silent idiot. 

Patton smiled and waved madly out of the window as they began approaching the familiar faces, unknowingly giving Roman just the right amount of privacy with their savior. 

“Hey..” Roman said, glancing over once in a while to make sure Patton wasn’t listening in. 

Logan raised an eyebrow. “Hey?” 

“Yeah.. I just... I’m sorry I was being so awful.. I didn’t realize that I knew you.” 

Logan scoffed at that. “Know me?” 

“Yes...” He leaned forward a bit. “You know?.. We had a connection?” 

“The only thing you know about me is that I’m dangerous and I hate the rich and, from what I gather, you’re trying to soften me up in order to buy my protective services? You royals are dumber than I thought.” He glanced outside and saw that the carriages were getting awfully close. “Hey, get ready to run,” he called out to Virgil, knowing that the two of them were pretty high on the wanted list. 

“Wait!” Roman said, reaching out to grab the other by the arm. 

Logan was faster than that, grabbing Prince Roman and forcing him to look him in the eye. “No, you wait. Think. You saw what I can do and you still try to push my limits? I may be above hurting you, but I’m not above letting others do it for me, like those idiotic thugs. Do not be so stupid to believe that one interaction means that you know why I do what I do or even, apparently, that you know what I do. Do not be so stupid to believe you have the right to lay your hand on me without consequence, especially when you were angry at me for saving you a wordless half hour ago.” He let him go and stood up, opening the door and kicking out some of the broken glass. “Have a nice day, Mr Nobleman. Prince Roman.” 

The vigilante knocked on the wall, signalling for his friend to hop out of his seat and run away with him leaving Roman feeling like an idiot. Maybe he should’ve been more upfront, there was no way that the guy knew who he was talking about. Or maybe he shouldn’t have said anything, he did seem pretty annoyed before Roman went and made it worse and who could blame him? He probably hadn’t gotten much sleep last night himself and here he was, saving a couple of ungrateful nobles from idiots on horses. 

“Hey, Roman, let’s go,” Patton said as he grabbed his friend’s arm. “Let’s go ride in a carriage that isn’t filled with broken glass.” 

Roman just sighed and nodded, following him out. He could figure this out another time. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Logan is referred to as his deadname and becomes overwhelmed to the point of panic when it becomes too much

Logan was angry about the exchange for the entire trip home. How dare that noble try to sweet talk him like he wasn’t just insulting him? At least his nobleman friend was respectful the entire time. 

“You okay, Lo?” Virgil asked. 

“I’ll be fine. I’m just ready to get some rest and something to eat..” 

Virgil smiled at that. It seemed that Logan didn’t remember, but considering what day it was, that could definitely be arranged. “I’ll try to distract Janus so you can go take a nap or something.”

“Thank you.” Logan smiled and pulled off his Blue Tropic outfit with Virgil as they neared the other end of the woods. “Sometimes, I feel like you’re the only one keeping me sane.” 

Virgil shrugged. “I do my best.” He began walking ahead and went into their home before Logan, keeping Janus distracted so his friend could properly rest. 

Of course, Janus was used to living with teenagers, he knew exactly when Logan got home, but he wasn’t interested in just yelling at him some more. “If he needs sleep, he needs sleep, I can talk to him later.” 

Virgil was surprised by that, Janus loved lecturing them all. 

“It’s his sixteenth birthday, if he wants to spend it resting, he can. Besides... He’s going to learn some big things today...” 

Virgil’s face scrunched up in mild disgust. “Isn’t he a little old for the birds and the bees?” 

Janus smiled at that. “Never mind, Virgil. Here, you can eat the leftover cake frosting.” He gave Virgil a bowl full of chocolate, effectively silencing him. 

By the time Logan was woken up, it was dinner time, something that his stomach managed to remind him of right before Janus could. 

“Juliet?” he called into the room. 

And there went Logan’s appetite. It hadn’t been particularly long since he’d heard that name, especially not with how long he’d slept, but he still managed to almost forget it. “Yes?” 

Janus stepped inside and smiled at him. “It’s time for your birthday dinner. And I think it’s time we let Virgil know.” 

Oh, no. No, no, this was the day that Logan had been dreading for years. He was looking forward to being able to be a boy around Janus during family dinners and, now, he wasn’t going to have that. “Are you sure?..” 

“Of course I’m sure, Virgil is almost 15 himself, he’ll understand.” 

“Right..” Logan forced a smile and got up, instinctively walking towards his wardrobe. 

“Oh, actually, I think your masculine clothes would be better. I have some plans for later.” 

Well, at least there was that, but clothes weren't much of an issue with Logan. His hair was and he knew that Janus loved it too much to have Logan hide it any longer. 

“I just wanted to help you do your hair first.” 

And there it was. “Of course.” He went to the trunk of masculine clothes that he had and picked out a simple blue and white outfit, changing with Janus’s help before sitting at his desk and taking off his wig. 

Janus smiled and ran his hands through Juliet’s long hair. “Your poor hair.. It’s been suffering under that wig for so long,” he joked, grabbing a brush. 

“It happens sometimes,” Logan shrugged, closing his eyes as he felt Janus run the brush through his hair. 

Janus made quick work of the task for once, tying her hair up into a ponytail. “We have a long night ahead of us.” 

Logan stood up once he was done and followed him out of the room and down to the kitchen, feeling his stomach turn as he saw the look on Virgil’s face. 

“Uh... What’s up with the hair, Logan?..” 

Logan shrugged. “It’s my real hair...” 

“And it’s Juliet,” Janus corrected. “She’s hidden it for years and I’m going to be telling you both why tonight after dinner.” 

Virgil looked between the two in shock. Loga- Juliet looked so much more real with short hair, probably because it was what he was used to. “Okay.. Juliet.” 

That felt like a punch in the stomach. Logan took a deep breath and went to sit down to enjoy his birthday dinner and cake, trying to focus on the delicious food and sweet desert instead of the way his female name was being thrown around. He could handle it if it was just Janus and it was just the two of them, but no, this was Janus and Virgil and, to protect Logan, Remy. It started to really hurt and it took everything for Logan not to let it show. 

“Done already?” Janus asked as he saw how fast Juliet cleared her plate. 

Logan laughed awkwardly. “Well, I did skip lunch to sleep.. I guess I was just hungry.” 

He smiled, seeming to believe that. 

Logan got another plate of food to distract himself as everyone else ate, finishing up at the same time as them all. 

Remy and Virgil cleared the table, refusing Logan’s help for his birthday, and Janus disappeared for a few minutes, coming back with a bag and something vaguely sword-shaped wrapped in canvas. 

“Where are we going?” Logan asked. 

“You’ll see,” Janus hummed. 

Logan pouted and tried to focus on how disappointing that was instead of how painful it was to hear his female name. “Rude.” 

Janus laughed and waited with Juliet for Remy and Virgil to finish up with their work before heading out with them all. 

Logan walked with Remy, tapping his shoulder to get his attention. “Do you know where we’re going?..” 

Remy shrugged. “He hasn’t told me anything.” He knew Logan’s true identity as a Capulet, but he also knew that his relationship with Logan as an older brother was a lot more honest and open than the one he had with Janus. He assumed that Logan found comfort in that and didn’t want to ruin it. 

Logan sighed and kept walking, noticing how Virgil kept glancing back at him. “Is something wrong?” 

“No. I just... I’m sorry, I just never suspected it. It’s kind of crazy..” 

Logan smiled at that. “Understandably, I know I’m not exactly lady-like.” 

“That’s an understatement,” Remy joked making Logan laugh quietly. 

Logan’s laughed died down as he realized where Janus had lead them to. “Why are we at a cemetery?..” 

“I’m getting to that,” he said as he picked the lock to the gates. “If I’d known you’d be joking around the whole time, I would’ve said it before hand. You know, make this a little less awkward.” He’d specifically told Remy not to make them start laughing for that reason. Once he got the gate unlocked, he pushed it open and checked a pocket watch in the moonlight. “Looks like we’re a few minutes early... Perfect.” 

“Perfect for what?” Logan asked, getting mildly freaked out. All he wanted was to know why Janus said he needed to dress like a boy, he wasn’t mentally planning for this. 

Virgil was not feeling good about anything that was happening, they were breaking into a locked cemetery off the edge of the town, one that he felt he definitely was not supposed to be in. He was pretty sure there were no good endings in this scenario. 

Janus held a hand out towards Juliet, smiling a bit as she took it. “I feel like this is news you should only hear around those closest to you..” 

“What news?..” Logan asked, too wary to be frustrated about the amount of secrets that was being kept from him. 

“The truth about your family.” 

His family. Logan was told that his family died in a house fire when he was a child, that Janus and Remy’s fathers had found him wandering the streets, same as they’d found Virgil. “What about my family?” 

Janus pulled him to a grave in the center back of the cemetery, one with the name scratched off of the tombstone and the central piece of land along the back. “This is where they really are.. I lied about how they died in order to keep you from doing anything you’d regret..” 

This wasn’t adding up. Nothing was adding up. “What does this mean?” Logan asked, exasperated. 

“You’re a smart girl.. You know that there’s only one name forbidden enough for someone to do this...” 

He did know. What he didn’t know was how Janus could’ve kept something like that from him, assuming his assumption was correct. “What the fuck are you trying to say?” he finally asked, yanking his hand away. “This isn’t the time to be cryptic or secretive, you told me that you’d tell me everything on my sixteenth birthday, not that you’d skirt around what is quite possibly the biggest secret in the entire kingdom.” He paused for a second, trying to calm himself down. “I need you to say what you’re implying in clear words.” 

“Juliet... You are the last surviving member of the house of Capulet.” 

If Logan thought that being called by the wrong name hit hard, then this was like being flung off of a cliff. Of course Janus wouldn’t want him going out dressed like a girl, that made him a potential target to the bastard palace guards. Of course Janus looked over him as intensely as he did, the fate of an entire name rested on his shoulders. Of course Logan hated the noble class. They killed his entire bloodline. 

But, fuck, it was too much to take in all at once. Between that and learning that he’d have to live as a woman outside of his room, everything felt like just too much. 

Making matters worse, a small group of people walked into the cemetery what felt like moments after he heard the news. 

Janus put a calming hand on Juliet’s shoulder and turned her to face the group. “This is what remains of the Capulet loyalists... After my father and Remy’s father were killed, a lot of them lost their lives trying to avenge them.” 

Logan’s eyes darted over the faces of the men, the masks that they hid behind decorated by blue designs. 

“Our only goal is to get you back into power and to get the tyrant Montague out of the throne that he stole from your parents. You are our queen, Juliet. Queen of the Capulets.” 

Logan let out an exasperated breath as the entire group, including a relatively confused Virgil and Remy, knelt to the ground for him, repeating Janus’s words. 

“Long live Queen Juliet of the Capulets.” 

“No!” he cried out, feeling way past overwhelmed. 

Janus frowned a bit. “What’s wrong, Juliet?..” 

“I’m not Juliet! I’m not your queen!” The words burned as they came out, almost as badly as the tears that began streaming down his face. 

“Hey... I understand that this may be a bit overwhelming now, but-” 

“No! If you wanted me to comply without a word, you should’ve told me when I became the Blue Tropic, when I could’ve done something to avenge your father!” 

Janus clenched his jaw for a second. There wasn’t a day that went by when he thought of all he could’ve done to properly avenge his father, but setting their Juliet on a murder mission wasn’t one of them. “Your parents had strict instructions to wait until you were sixteen if this ever happened. I was told this from the time I was a toddler and I wasn’t going to let my own issues get in the way of that.” 

“They killed him! They killed the rest of them!” Logan pointed out, gesturing towards the small crowd of soldiers. “You let me waste our time. I had the crown prince in my grasp today, if I had known, I could’ve-” 

“No!” Janus shouted back, quickly stopping himself. “No... Killing him would’ve been a mistake. Our eye is on the king. Killing his son would’ve made that so much more difficult.”

Logan knew that. It was basic logic, killing the prince wouldn’t have been a power move, there were plenty of people that could’ve taken his place in line for the throne. It would’ve been an alert at best, a reason for the king to boost his security and make their end goal a much more difficult goal. But it was so much easier to get mad over that than-

“Juliet..” 

Logan never wanted to snap at Janus, but this was too much. “My name is not Juliet. Call me your Capulet all you want, but my name is not Juliet! That is the name of a woman and I am a man! If you are going to serve me, you are going to serve King Logan of the house of Capulet!” 

Now Janus was getting worried as well as confused. Was this pressure too much or was this something that the Capulet truly believed? “Calm down... I don’t understand.” 

“There’s nothing to understand!” Logan paused and tried to calm down, but after what he’d said, there was too much fire running through his system. “I am a man, I’ve known it for years. I wasn’t born one, but it is what I feel deep inside!” 

Janus grabbed her arm and turned her around. “Let’s get you home... You’re just tired, this is a lot of information-”

“I’m serious!” Logan insisted as he snatched his arm away. 

“It doesn’t seem like it!” Janus said, a little harsher than he’d meant. “These men are here to pledge their lives to you and you’re screaming about being a man and your name being wrong?” 

Logan glared at him before just dashing off, running aimlessly into the woods and feeling sobs welling up in his throat as he heard Janus calling out that god awful name. He didn’t stop running until his body forced him to stop, instead walking towards the sound of running water. 

Once he found its source, a large stream, he knelt down beside it and caught his breath, washing his face off with the cold water. He’d just ran away... It felt so good and so freeing, yet so god awful. He loved Janus with all of his heart, but if a name mattered more than Logan’s comfort, maybe it was worth a little irrationality. Maybe a little irrationality was just what he needed to prove that he wasn’t changing his mind on this. 

Logan’s hand went to the holster on his waist. That was right, he did still have his sword. He was practically sewn onto his male clothes unless it was something like the ball. It was just what he needed right now. Logan drew his sword with one hand and grabbed the base of his ponytail with the other, taking a deep breath before slicing through it. 

Logan smiled as he brought his arm down and saw the long hair that he’d finally gotten rid of. There it went. The one constant reminder he had about the way he’d been born. He almost began laughing out of pure joy as he moved to drop it into the river when he was interrupted by a voice. 

“Hey, wait!” 


	8. Chapter 8

Logan whipped his head around and saw a man standing there with a lit torch in one hand and a bucket in the other. Logan had been so stuck in his own head that he hadn’t noticed the light. 

The man holding the torch smiled sheepishly. “Sorry fr yelling, but hair is actually pretty good for the old garden.. Would you mind?” 

“Oh..” Logan muttered, looking between the hair in his hands and this stranger. “Um.. Sure.” He stood up and went over, putting the hair in the hand with the bucket. 

“Thank you.” He smiled and looked down at Logan. “What brings you to the woods at this time of night?” 

“Running away..” he muttered. “I don’t want to get into detail...” 

“I don’t mind, it’s just unusual for me to see one other person out here, much less two,” he said with a shrug. 

Logan seemed just as surprised. “Two?” 

The stranger nodded and glanced towards a nearby clearing. “Another boy about your age showed up with some cuts and bruises. I was just coming to get some water to help clean them. You can join us, if you don’t have anywhere else to run off to?” 

Obviously, this screamed danger, but Logan just didn’t care anymore. He was too tired for this. Besides, the stranger saw that he had a sword. If he was still dumb enough to challenge him, Logan could probably end him in a matter of minutes. “Yeah, sure..” 

“Great! Hold this, please.” He handed Logan the torch and filled up the bucket with the clean water from the stream before leading him back to a small cottage. 

The second that he stepped inside, Logan was ready to run back out, stopping himself only because he still had this man’s torch. “You?!” 

There at the table was a scraped and bruised Prince Roman. 

When Roman later learned what exactly brought Logan to that part of the woods, his own story felt pretty embarrassing in comparison. For the rest of the day, the only thing he could think about was how the boy he’d danced with was the Blue Tropic and how doomed any kind of relationship between them would be from the start. Thankfully, he was able to brush it off as being in shock from nearly being kidnapped - by those thugs, both boys had made sure on emphasizing, refusing to let their savior take the fall - and most of the palace believed him, including Patton. But he couldn’t lie to his own brother like that. 

“What’s really on your mind?” Remus asked as he trapped his brother in his room. “I know it’s not just what happened, you can’t lie to me like that.” 

Roman just shrugged. “It’s nothing for you to know.” 

“I think everything about you is for me to know.” Remus shrugged and went over, flopping onto Roman’s bed. “I’m not leaving until you tell me.” 

And, after almost seventeen years of living with him, Roman knew that he wasn’t bluffing. “You’re going to think that I’m crazy.” 

That piqued Remus’s interest. He sat up and looked over at his brother. “Roman, don’t you know who you’re talking to? I’m the very definition of crazy.” 

Well, Roman couldn’t deny that. And he knew that Remus was the best at keeping a secret. “Fine...” He sat down beside him and told him everything. He told him all about the blue eyes that he’d never forget and how he saw them on the vigilante that saved him, as well as how badly he’d messed up any chances with him the second that he found out who he was. He even told him how that wasn’t enough to stop his feelings. “It’s awful...” 

“Yeah... I think awful is the only way to describe that..” 

“But.. I should still do something about it, right?..” 

Remus wanted his brother to be happy, but he was chasing down the impossible here. “I don’t know... Come on, you know this guy is going to hate your guts, why don’t you just forget about it?” 

“Because I can’t forget about it.. I can’t forget about him!” He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I know you’re trying to look out for me and all, but I need to see how this plays out for myself..” 

Remus frowned and got up, leaving the room without another word. 

Roman groaned and dropped his face into his hands. He’d managed to drive away even his brother... He knew he was being completely irrational, but nothing about what he was feeling in his heart was rational. Roman knew that he couldn’t forget this if he tried, that he at least needed to be hurt, badly, before he could even think about just moving on. 

Before Roman got the chance to sulk any longer, he was hit with a ball of fabric. He picked it up and looked over at Remus, who was standing in the door. 

“Look... If you can’t get over this, you should do something about it sooner or later. You said you saw him running into the woods, right?” 

Roman started to perk back up a bit. “What are you saying?..” 

“I’m saying that we are twins. Identical twins. And nobody cares where I go.” 

“You can’t seriously be suggesting what I think you are,” Roman said, laughing almost uncomfortably. “I mean, nobody would believe that you’re me.” 

Remus stood up straight and covered the bottom half of his face with his hand. “Good morning, father. What kind of work did you need me to complete today? Patton! How’s it going, buddy? Emile, how have you been? It’s so nice to see you!” 

Alright, Roman had to admit that it was a pretty spot on impression. “But what about your mustache?..” 

“I’ll shave it... I can always grow it back like nothing happened. You, on the other hand, will not be okay to do anything until you go through with this.” 

Roman looked between him and the cloak a few times. “I don’t know..” 

Remus rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, I already promised I’d do your work for a month. Just take the offer!” 

Roman jumped up and rocketed over, pulling his brother into a tight hug. “You are the best!” 

Remus smiled and hugged back, thinking about how else he could help his brother do this. “I have some plain outfits that you can borrow and I have a bag for food and water. Just promise me you’ll be careful out there, I can only impersonate you for so long.”

“I’ll be careful. Don’t worry, the next time you see me, I’ll be good as new!” 

At least, that was what he believed until he actually got a few minutes into the dark woods. It took years for him to actually admit it, but all it took was the sound of a bird coming out of nowhere before he jumped and ran off, almost immediately falling into a bush. He got out and hissed in pain as he felt the scrapes on his skin. “That was so embarrassing...” 

“Aw, I’ve done worse.” 

Roman screamed and jumped up again, running straight into a tree and falling on his back as he bounced off of it. 

“Nevermind...” The stranger went over and stood above the teenager, a concerned look on his face. “Are you okay?..” 

“Well, my ego has been torn to shreds, but otherwise, I’ll be fine.” 

He smiled and offered a hand. “Come on, I’ll try and help you heal up. I was just about to get some clean water from a stream nearby.” 

Roman took his hand and let the stranger help him to his feet, sweeping the dirt from his clothes before following him to a tiny cottage. “Do you live out here?..” 

“Well.. Yeah. I’ve been out here for years now,” he said with a shrug. “I wasn’t happy living in the kingdom and I didn’t really have anyone, so I just came out here.” 

“Oh... You wouldn’t happen to know anyone else out here, would you?..” 

“Nope! Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s just me and whatever animals come to get fed.” 

Roman silently wondered how anyone could live like that. He knew he would’ve gone insane if he’d lived without any kind of human contact for that long. “Doesn’t it get lonely?..” 

The stranger seemed to hum in thought at that. “I suppose it can be at times.. I guess it’s something I don’t like to talk about.” 

“Okay.. Thank you for offering to help me..” 

“Of course.” He smiled back at him as he opened the door for him. “Just make yourself at home, I’m going to get the water.” 

Roman nodded and sat down in a chair, eating one of the apples that he’d brought with him as he waited. 

Thankfully, it seemed that the universe was finally having some mercy on him and he finished it a minute before the stranger got back. Otherwise, he would’ve choked when he saw who came back with him. 

Logan groaned as he saw Roman there, already starting to leave. “I’m sorry, I do not want to be anywhere near him.” 

“No wait!” Roman protested, getting up to stop him. 

“Yeah, I don’t know what happened between you two, but it’s way too late for anyone to be wandering alone...” The stranger said, gently pulling Logan back inside. “I know what happens between you two may not be my business, but at least stay the night for your own safety...” 

His own safety. Logan hadn’t thought about his own safety all day, but maybe it was time he did, at least for a little bit. The Prince may have been on his own, but he wasn’t any kind of threat, just an inconvenience. Besides, if it came to it, Logan had a sword and he was pretty damn good with it. “Fine... But just one night.” 

“Great..” Their host smiled and went to a small fireplace, starting a fire and letting his bucket of water heat up over it. 

Logan decided against asking what happened to him and looked around for somewhere to sit down, deciding on a wooden crate. He sat there quietly and kept to himself. 

“I’m Thomas, by the way,” the stranger finally said. “I should’ve said that a while ago..” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Thomas. I’m Roman,” the prince said, glancing over at the Blue Tropic, hoping to finally hear his true name. 

Of course, he wasn’t going to make it that easy for him. “I prefer to keep my name to myself for now. It’s nothing against you, Thomas, I just don’t trust certain people in the room with that kind of information.” 

“Oh, uh.. That’s fine,” Thomas said as he removed the boiling water from the heat, letting it cool down. “I’m going to put that hair in the compost... You two can have a few minutes to talk to yourselves..” He gave them an awkward smile and walked back outside. 

“Hair?..” Roman asked, finally noticing the choppy cut that the vigilante was sporting. “What happened to it?..” 

“I cut it,” Logan said simply. 

“Really?.. If anything, your hair looks longer than before,” he said as he dipped a clean cloth into the hot water, using it to clean the blood and dirt from his face and wounds. 

Logan stared at him for a few seconds, wondering if he was serious. 

“What?”

“You mean, you honestly didn’t realize  _ why  _ my hair may be longer than most other guys?”

Roman shook his head, his expression completely blank. 

“... I mean... My higher voice, the fact that I’m noticeably shorter than you, that doesn’t tip you off?”

Roman stared at him for a few seconds before it clicked. “Oh.. Oh!” 

“I’m still a man and you know as well as I do that I can seriously harm you if you say otherwise, but there’s your answer.” He didn’t care that Roman knew, mainly because he’d assumed that he already knew.

Roman nodded and turned to face away as he finished cleaning up, knowing that there was a question in his eyes that he was pretty sure he’d get killed for asking. 

Logan knew what he wanted to ask and was pleasantly surprised that Roman chose to turn away before he had no choice but to rip his face off. “Didn’t you have something to tell me or whatever?” 

“As much as I want to, I’m kind of afraid...” 

Logan rolled his eyes and went over, stepping into Roman’s line of sight. “You respect me, I won’t break your face. That’s the rule. Now we aren’t about to ruin Thomas’s night because you’re too afraid of me to speak, now speak.” 

Okay, Roman couldn’t argue with that. “What if I say something that you don’t like, but it’s not disrespectful?”

“I’m not a ticking time bomb,” Logan said, crossing his arms. “I may yell, but I won’t hurt you.” 

Roman was pretty sure he wouldn’t enjoy that either, but there was probably no point in arguing. He just grabbed his bag and pulled out a small box, showing Logan the costume ring inside. When he didn’t immediately start screaming, he took it as a good sign. The look of horror on his face, however, said that it wasn’t a great one. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mention of animal death

Logan understood almost immediately, but there was a part of him that refused to make the connection. “Who gave you that?” he asked, his voice softening. 

Roman twisted the ring onto his own finger. “You did... And you said fate would lead us together if it was meant to be.”

There was that sinking feeling in Logan’s chest again. “That’s impossible... You’re the prince, you can’t like men.” 

Roman shrugged and stared down at the jewel on the ring. “And there are people who would say you can’t be a man... You aren’t letting them stop you..” 

Logan couldn’t stop himself from letting out a gasp, fear starting to show in his face. No, this couldn’t be right. The boy he danced with was so sweet and shy and somebody that he wasn’t morally obligated to murder in cold blood. 

Roman stood up and carefully reached out towards him to pull him into a hug. “Hey.. I get if you’re having some sort of moral crisis, I’m not exactly too happy about you’re wanting to kill me either.” 

Imagine if he knew why. 

“And I know this probably isn’t something you want to hear right now, but.. I know you felt what I felt.. And if we’re on the same page here, I think you know that the feeling’s not going away..” 

“It has to go away!” Logan insisted, stepping away from the other. “I can’t be in love with you, I can’t even like you that way! You’re the crown prince, the son of Montague. I’m the Blue Tropic!” 

“You’re a person with feelings..” Roman said quietly, stepping a bit closer. “Look, I’m not saying I’m happy about this either, I know that you hate me and these feelings make the idea of hurting you absolutely unbearable..” 

Logan pushed him away. “If you meant that, you never would’ve shown me!” 

“And then what? Just... Just meet you at the ball for the next few months until I’m married off? I leave and you never know who I am and we both keep these completely unresolved feelings?” 

Logan calmed down a bit. He hated to admit it, but that sounded like it would’ve hurt worse than this. “What do you expect me to do?” he asked quietly. “You can’t expect me to love you and be okay with it.” 

“I don’t..” Roman admitted with a sigh. He gave up on trying to pull the other into a hug and simply took his hands, letting him keep some distance away. “But you said it yourself, if we were meant to meet up again, we would and we did. I may not know why it’s hurting you, but I do know that we both have these feelings.” 

Logan just stared down at their hands for a second, trying to think of any way that this could work out in their favor. “Do you have any bright ideas? Because I can’t see this ending in any way besides heartbreak.” 

“No... But, again, I don’t think this is going away any time soon. I think the worse thing we can do is run away from it... Trust me, I’ve been running away from things as long as I can remember.” 

Logan sighed and gently pulled his hands away. “Great... Just what I needed.” He walked across the room and sat back on his crate. “Look.. I’m not going to just forget everything wrong with this and run away with you, but I will be civil with you and give you a chance to show me why I should give you the time of day.” 

Well... It was definitely better than the explosion Roman was expecting, to be honest. “That sounds great.. I promise you, you won’t regret this.” 

Logan nodded, but, honestly, he was kind of doubting it. “If I regret trusting you, you will regret convincing me to do so.” 

“Yeah, I kind of figured..” Roman said, smiling a bit. 

“Good.” 

Thomas stepped back inside. “I noticed that it’s quieting down in here, is everything okay?..” 

“Everything’s fine,” Logan assured. “Roman here managed to convince me that, at the very least, he could be trusted with my name. It’s Logan.” 

“Logan.. It’s a nice name,” Roman hummed. 

“Thank you, I picked it myself.” 

Roman and Thomas laughed a bit, the latter noticing the confused look on Logan’s face first. 

“That was a joke, right?..” 

“No. I chose it myself when I was younger, before I even realized that it was my true name.” 

“Oh..” 

“Um.. My brother said that other people who choose their name later in life say that as a joke,” Roman explained. “Sort of like when people compliment someone’s eyes or hair and they say it was a gift from their parents or something.” 

Logan stared at him in thought for a few seconds before slowly nodding. “That’s why Remy laughed when I first said that..” he muttered under his breath. “Okay, well let it be known that I’m not good at humor. I never have been.”

“Got it,” Roman said, sharing a glance with Thomas that let him know that this was an awkward moment and that it wasn’t just the years of isolation. 

“Well, I should get started on dinner.. I’m sure you two are pretty hungry.” 

“Oh, I ate before I left, thank you,” Logan said. “You’re already doing a lot by letting me stay here.” 

“Yeah.. I brought food with me,” Roman said, a bit more awkward. 

Thomas shook his head. “I’m not hearing any of that. You two are still kids, you should eat at least a little. I usually end up with a lot of wasted meat, anyways.” 

“If you insist..” Logan said, clearly a bit hesitant. “At least let me help you with something.” 

“Me too,” Roman quickly added, not wanting to be seen as a useless prince. 

It was a little late to convince Logan that he wasn’t, but he did appreciate the effort. 

Thomas sighed as he realized that these two weren't going to be convinced. “Alright.. You can either help me with a stew or go get a rabbit from a trap,” he offered, though it was pretty clear which one he thought they were going to choose. 

“I think I’d rather stay in here and help with the stew..” Roman muttered. 

Logan shrugged. “I don’t mind getting a rabbit. Where would I find a trap?”

Thomas was not sure how to respond to that. “Uh.. It was a joke.. I don’t expect a kid to go out and take care of that kind of thing..” 

“Oh, I’m more than qualified to take care of this,” Logan assured. “There was a period of time when I was younger that my older brother taught me how to survive in the woods on my own and I became highly invested.” 

“Maybe, but.. I mean, I never figured out how to make a lethal trap.” 

Logan was unfazed. “I mean, I have my sword, but a knife would be better for small prey like that.” 

“Logan, I’m not letting you kill a rabbit for me,” Thomas insisted. “You’re a kid, I don’t feel comfortable letting you do that. It’s not that I don’t think you can, I just can’t let you.”

Logan sighed and sat down. “Alright... I’m sorry for being pushy about it.”

“It’s fine.. You’re just trying to be helpful, I get it.” Thomas smiled and left, leaving the other two to their stew. 

“So,” Logan began as soon as he left. “Have you ever cooked before?” 

Roman had not and he didn’t really want to admit it. 

“It’s fine, I didn’t think you had. Come on, this should be a very simple job.” He went over to the fireplace and grabbed the clean cooking pot beside it, putting it over the flame, pouring in some water. 

Roman stood beside him, trying not to get in the way too much, and helped him. 

Logan was pleasantly surprised by how helpful Roman ended up being, letting him stir the stew as it boiled. He looked back at the door as he heard it open and smiled as he saw Thomas come back in. “You know, for his first time cooking, I think Roman has done a decent job.” 

Roman smiled proudly at that. “Who says a prince can’t learn to look after himself?” 

“Prince?..” Thomas asked. 

“Oh..” Well, that was the one secret that Remus had told him not to give away, but he figured that Thomas could be trusted, right? What could be so threatening about a guy who lived all alone in the woods? “Yeah.. I’m kind of the crown prince...” 

Thomas seemed to think for a few seconds before nodding. “Right.. I remember hearing about a prince Roman.. There were two of you right? A twin or something?” 

“Yeah.. Prince Remus. Except, he’s technically not a prince anymore, but a lot of people still call him that because he is still royalty and we don’t really know what he is.” 

“Right, I left a little after the scandal over him came out. It was pretty crazy,” he said with a laugh, joining them by the fire to start cooking up the rabbit meat.

“What scandal?” Roman asked. 

“The one about your brother being hidden.” 

“Yeah, everyone’s heard about it,” Logan added. “Montague said you were an only child at first, but after the queen passed, it came out that you had a twin. People were criticizing him until the guards shut them up.” Janus had taught him about it, he’d always felt for the other prince. “Apparently, he did it because the white in his hair is a bad omen.” 

Roman stayed silent. He’d never heard of such a thing, but it definitely seemed like something that they would do to his brother. He remembered that the king used to make sure that Remus’s white streak was cut off when they had to get a haircut. It stopped when he finally realized that it wasn’t going away, but it was pretty clear that he wasn’t happy about it. It was one of the many things Remus was criticized on. 

“Are you okay?” Thomas asked. 

Roman shook his head a bit and rubbed his temples. “Yeah.. Sorry, I just never heard of that before.. I mean, I believe you, I just feel kind of bad for him..” 

“I’m sorry to hear that.. But I’m sure he knows that you care about him,” Thomas reassured. 

Roman smiled at that. “Thanks..” He really hoped it was true. 

The rest of the evening was spent chatting over a nice dinner, with Logan tucked away in his corner on his crate and Thomas and Roman sitting at the table. There wasn’t much more for Thomas to explain about himself besides the fact that he’d left to escape the kingdom and the fact that he was enjoying having the two teenagers around to talk to, though neither of them wanted to get too into why they’d left in the first place. They both felt a bit guilty about staying so closed off and decided to help him clean up after eating in return before trying to figure out the sleeping arrangements. 

“You’ve already done too much for me, there’s no way I can take up your bed,” Logan insisted, seeing as Roman was already set with a sleeping bag. “I don’t mind sleeping on the floor, no matter how much you insist. I literally spend my days either fighting or training to fight, I’m tougher than I look.” 

Thomas sighed and caved. “Fine.. I’ll take your word for it.” 

Logan nodded and sat against the wall a few feet away from the fire, covering himself with his cloak. “Good night.” 

Roman smiled at him from his place in front of the fire, tucked away in his sleeping bag. “Good night.” 

Thomas got into his bed and wrapped himself up in a blanket. “Good night.” 


	10. Chapter 10

In the morning, Roman woke up feeling more sore than he’d expected, pushing down a groan as he sat up. He looked around and saw that Thomas was still asleep, but Logan was gone. He frowned and got up, going outside to look for him. It took a few minutes before he saw him in the stream, his shoes on the dry ground and his pants rolled up. 

“Hey, Logan!” he called out, walking over. 

Logan’s head whipped up at the sound of his name and he acknowledged Roman’s presence with a small hum before focusing back down on the water. “What are you doing up this early?” The sun was giving them just enough light to see into the water. 

“I don’t know.. I guess my body really wanted me to stop sleeping on the ground,” he said with a laugh. “Are you feeling bad at all?” 

“No, I feel fine. I’ve spent a few nights in trees running from the guards,” he hummed, his focus on the water. After a few seconds, he quickly reached down with both hands and pulled up a fairly medium sized fish, keeping a tight grip on it as it tried to escape. 

“... What are you doing?” 

“Isn’t it obvious? I feel bad that Thomas wouldn’t let me help more with dinner, so I’m catching fish.” He pointed at the other two fish that were already on the shore. “This was the last one I needed. I’m going to prepare them for cooking, which is probably something you don’t want to stick around for.”

Roman walked right over and stood with his arms crossed. “I think I can handle watching you prepare some fish.” 

“I highly doubt that, but I won’t stop you.” 

As Logan suspected, Roman was very much wrong. The second he started actually getting into the fish, he had to turn and sit with his back to Logan. 

“There’s no shame in being a little squeamish,” Logan said. “One of my friends is pretty bad around this kind of thing, only my brother and I can stomach it.” 

“So much for me proving that I’m not a spoiled brat..” Roman grumbled. 

“I think you trying is a start. You can’t help that you were raised to be a brat.” 

“That feels a bit backhanded, but thank you, I guess.” 

Logan shrugged. “It wasn’t meant to be. It’s more of an insult to the idea that having money means you can know absolutely nothing about living real life. It’s not personal.” 

Roman pretended that it didn’t feel equally backhanded. “Right..” 

Logan decided to change the subject, since he had a feeling that Roman may have been feeling a little hurt by his words. “How long are you planning on staying out here before you go home?..” 

“I don’t know.. I didn’t want to say it in front of Thomas because it’s a little embarrassing, but I really only came out to tell you who I am..” 

Logan stopped what he was doing and glanced over at him, surprised. “Really? Why?” 

“I mean, it felt right at the time,” Roman said, starting to turn around before quickly regretting it and staying as he was. “I knew that you’d hate that I’m the prince and it would feel like I was lying to both of us if I hadn’t said anything. I wanted to be honest and I wanted to see you again, so I told my brother and he said for me to find you..” 

“Why are you in the middle of the woods, then?..” 

So much for making it seemed like he thought it through. “I mean... The woods are the last place I saw you. I just got a little lost..” 

More than a little, but Logan wasn’t going to say that out loud. “Looks like you got lucky, then.” 

“Yeah.. Why did you run away, if you don’t mind my asking?..” 

Logan shrugged. “I got overwhelmed with something... I don’t want to get into detail, but a lot happened really fast. It got to be too much for me and I ran.” 

“Oh..” Roman said simply, pausing for a minute. “Maybe you should go back and let your family know you’re okay...” 

Logan almost laughed at that. “Ironic, coming from the one who ran away to tell a stranger who supposedly hates him who he is.” 

Roman chuckled a bit. Alright, he could admit that he deserved that one. “Seriously.. I have Remus to convince them that I’m fine, I trust him. You... Your family must be worried sick right now..” 

Logan knew that. If he knew Janus - and he was pretty damn sure that he did - the poor guy probably wasn’t even eating. Here he was, catching his own fish like this was some kind of camping trip. “Alright.. But after we eat.” 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

By the time that they got back, Thomas was just waking up and was surprised to see that Logan had already gotten them food. 

“You really didn’t have to do that..” he insisted. 

“I know, but I wanted to. Besides, it’s just some fish, it wasn’t a tough job.” 

Thomas just silently accepted this loss. Logan was unbelievably stubborn and he could respect that. 

“I hope you don’t mind the quick exit, but I think Logan and I are both going home after we eat..” 

“Really?..” Thomas almost seemed disappointed and understandably so. 

“Roman reminded me that my family would be worried about me. But, if you would like some company, I could definitely come back to visit. Depending on how they respond to my return, I could come back as soon as tomorrow.” 

Thomas smiled at that. “I would like that.. Obviously, I don’t want anything bad to happen with you at home, but I understand.. I was actually going to say, I may not know what exactly is between you two, but I know a couple of pining teenagers when I see them. If my hunch is correct, you two can come here and hang out without judgement.” Roman was a prince. Logan was very much not. He could see why they were too scared to be in a relationship. 

Roman glanced over at Logan to see his response, a blank expression. “We’re not really there right now..” 

Logan nodded in agreement. “We’re not that kind of couple, but I could definitely make sure he doesn’t nearly die next time he comes out here.” 

Okay, Roman could take that. “I would like to come visit again at some point, it was really nice to meet you.” 

“It was nice meeting you too.” 

They all enjoyed their breakfast and helped Roman pack up his things - Logan really only had his sword - before the two teenagers headed back through the woods. 

“You know where we’re going, right?” Roman asked once they were out of earshot of Thomas’s cabin. 

Logan shrugged. “I mean, I mostly ran in a straight line, so I know we’re at least going in the right general direction.” No, he was not sure that they were going the right way, but they couldn’t be too far, right? Especially not if it was somewhere Roman managed to make it without getting seriously injured. 

“Okay..” Roman was a bit too intimidated by Logan to ask if they needed to go back for directions. “Do you think we could go on a date when we get back?” he asked instead. 

“A date?..” Logan asked. 

“Yeah. You know, like a romantic outing? You did say you’d give me a chance to win you over.” 

Logan thought over the pros and cons in his head. Pros: more time with Roman. Cons: admitting he had feelings for Roman. “We can meet up and hang out together. Not dates. Platonic outings.” 

“Can we build up to dating over time?” 

Logan nodded. “That’s the plan, assuming that I become interested in dating you.” 

Roman knew how powerful of a drug denial could be. “That sounds nice. Can I hold your hand while we walk?” 

Logan hummed in thought for a few seconds before holding his hand out. “You can.. Just don’t pull me back too much.” 

Roman would be lying if he said he didn’t want to do exactly that. The slower they walked, the later he had to go back to living his normal life, a life where Logan couldn’t exist. But he didn’t want to hold him back too much, so he did his best to keep up, constantly watching the ground to make sure he wouldn’t trip over anything. 

Logan noticed and appreciated the little extra effort he was putting in, though he didn’t have the heart to tell him that trying to be as careful as he was was actually slowing them down. It was a weird feeling, but he didn’t want to hurt Roman’s feelings on purpose, something he really only felt about his family. 

His family.. The more he thought about them, the more he started to wish that he hadn’t run so far. He felt pretty confident in saying that he didn’t overreact by running, but he wasn’t used to spending so much time away from them, especially not from Janus or Virgil. Janus was always right beside him at home and Virgil was always right beside him outside. Remy was always right beside him figuratively speaking, supporting him through everything that people told him not to do, namely Janus. Whether it meant supporting him in becoming a vigilante or becoming a man. Or, in this case, craving the romantic attention of the crown prince of the kingdom. 

It almost made him laugh. Remy was going to eat up this news the second that Logan felt comfortable enough to share it with him, assuming that his “denying the feelings until they go away” plan didn’t work, which he had a feeling it wouldn’t. Logan started thinking about his family so much that he could practically hear them. 

“Logan!” 

“Do you hear that?” Roman asked. 

“Hear what?” 

“Logan!” 

“It sounds like your name,” Roman responded, pointing in the direction that he heard it coming from. 

“My name?..” 

“Logan, I swear to god!” 

“Remy!” Logan began running, pulling Roman along with him and only letting his hand go when his friend came into view, practically tackling him in a hug. 

Remy smiled widely and hugged him back. “Oh, thank god!” He kissed the top of his head and pulled away. “I mean, I knew you would be okay all on your own out here, but Janus has been sulking since you left...” 

“I figured.. I was on my way back, it was just so dark when I left..” 

“What happened to your hair?!” Remy asked as he finally noticed. 

Logan shrugged and ran his fingers through it, enjoying how much shorter it was. “I cut it... With my sword.” 

Remy nodded, though he couldn’t bring himself to give it his stamp of approval. “Yeah, no friend of mine is going out with a haircut this choppy, no pun intended. We can fix that when we get home and then it’ll look amazing.” 

“Right.. Before I go home, I have to make sure my friend gets back home safely..” He looked back at Roman, who was standing awkwardly out of their way. He smiled a bit and stepped away from Remy. “I promised him I’d keep him from getting hurt, seeing as he is hopeless out here.” 

Remy looked between the two, immediately understanding. “Is this the same friend from the other night?..”

“Yeah..” Logan admitted, giving Remy a look that told him to back off. 

Remy held up his hands in defense and backed up a bit. “Alright. Should I wait here for you or tell Janus that you’ll be back soon?” 

“You can wait here.. I should be back pretty soon.” He grabbed Roman’s hand, letting him interlock their fingers. “Do you mind? I know you don’t do particularly well outdoors.” 

“I am not going to interrupt this,” he said, pointing between the two. “I’ll wait right here, don’t worry.” 

Logan nodded and turned, walking away with Roman. “That was Remy, the guy who brought me to the dance.” 

“Good to know the person I’ll be forever grateful too.” 

Logan blushed madly at that and pulled him along a little faster. “Where do you want me to leave you?”

“I guess whenever we can see the castle walls. Remus showed me a really secret passage and he made me swear not to let anyone else know where it was.” He wanted to assume that Logan was an exception, but Remus seemed pretty serious about that promise. “There’s usually nobody behind it, just around the front half. I’ll be fine.” 

“Good to hear.” 

Logan did just that, silent for the rest of the walk as he took Roman to the palace walls.

Once they got there, Logan stopped and took a step back into the woods. “Okay.. I’ll see you later.” 

Roman smiled and leaned towards him before stopping. “Can I kiss your cheek?..” 

“Why?” Logan asked without thinking. He wasn't going to let this be easy for either of them. 

Roman shrugged. “You can say no. It’s just as an affectionate thank you.” 

Logan paused in thought. It couldn’t hurt, right? “Okay.. But just on the cheek and just a quick one.” 

Roman nodded and reached up with his free hand, gently cupping Logan’s face and tilting his head to the side before quickly kissing his cheek. He wanted nothing more than to move a couple of inches to the left and finally learn for himself what it felt like to kiss Logan’s lips, but, not only did Logan explicitly tell him that he didn’t want that, but Roman was pretty sure Logan could kill him and get rid of the evidence without so much as blinking, so he just pulled away, letting his hand fall to Logan’s shoulder. 

“Hand off,” he quickly responded. 

Roman did just that. “Right. Sorry.” 

“It’s fine.. I suppose I’ll be seeing you again soon.” 

“Yeah..” Roman smiled at the thought. “I’ll see if I can figure out a way to get messages out to you. We can figure out a time and place to meet somehow.” 

“I’ll make sure to keep an eye out.” Logan hesitated for a second before briefly squeezing Roman’s hand and letting it go. “I’ll see you later.” He turned away and walked into the woods, going back to find Remy. 


	11. Chapter 11

Roman smiled and made his way back into the castle, sneaking back into his room and finding it empty. He assumed Remus was out taking his place, which was perfect for him. He left a note on his bed and took a hot bath, hearing the bathroom door open after a few minutes. 

“Roman?.. You called for me?” called Emile’s confused voice. 

“Yes!” Roman sat up and turned to face him. “Your partner, his name is Remy, right? Do you know much about his family?” 

“That depends on why you’re asking.” 

“I think the boy I met knows him..” He smiled at the thought. It would be so perfect! He knew for a fact that Remy and Emile went on dates. “His name is Logan, he’s my age?..”

Emile began smiling a bit. “He’s always talking about Logan.. He says he’s a really calm and fairly stoic guy most of the time. That’s the boy you described as being full of smiles?” 

It wasn’t a lie, Logan had been very smiley at the dance. Roman nodded. “Yeah, but he really is more like what Remy described him as..” 

“I mean, I’ve never met him personally, but I do know Remy, obviously. Why are you asking so suddenly? And why from the bath?” 

Roman laughed awkwardly. “Well, the me that called you in here wasn’t me, it was Remus... I really wanted to find Logan again, so Remus promised to take my place for a bit, since his absence wouldn’t be as noticeable.. I found him and he’s not really ready for a relationship, but he said he could give me a chance..” He felt his face starting to turn red. “I really like him, Emile.. I was hoping you could help me talk to him. I know you go out with Remy pretty frequently, you could give him some letters for Logan from me.” 

“I would love to help, but... How much do you know about him?..” he asked hesitantly. “I mean.. What does he know about you?..” 

Roman glanced behind him, making sure the door was closed. “He knows I’m the prince. And... Before I say it, promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

Emile nodded, though he was starting to look a bit uneasy. 

“He’s the Blue Tropic.. The vigilante? But I swear, he’s nothing like the stories describe him.” He started melting back into a puddle of smiles. “He’s not too sweet, but I can tell that he kind of cares and I know that he wouldn’t think about hurting me..” 

There was a brief wave of relief on Emile’s face that Roman was too distracted to notice. “I believe you.. And if you’re absolutely sure about this, I would love to help.” 

“Thank you so much... I promise I’ll find a way to repay you, this means so much to me!” 

Emile laughed and shook his head. “It’s fine. It’s no problem and I’m glad to help. I’ll talk to you about it later, okay?” 

“Okay.” Roman watched him leave and his smile went from purely joyful to sheepish as Remus walked in, the white streak in his hair gone and his mustache shaved off. 

“I hope it was worth it for you to make me mutilate myself,” he said, though there wasn’t an ounce of malice in his tone. “What happened with him?” 

Roman gladly told him all about what had happened, including the kind man in the woods that offered them a safe haven. The only thing he left out was the scandal that Thomas had told them about. “I think he understands, since we are both boys..” 

“Everything’s working out for you two,” he commented with a smile. “It’s nice to see you happily in love for once.” 

Roman nodded and looked back up at him. “I’m really sorry you had to do what you did.. I promise I’ll do whatever you want to make it up to you?” 

Remus raised an eyebrow. “Anything?” 

Roman gave him a questioning look and hesitated a bit before nodding again. 

“Never make me do your paperwork again.” 

Roman had really been looking forward to not having to do any work for a month, but Remus did shave his face for him. “Alright, deal.” 

“Great! Hurry up and finish your bath, I’m hiding out in my room until my mustache grows back.” He shook out his hair and his white streak popped back out. “See you later.” He left his brother on his own. 

Roman sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds before getting out. Back to the life of a busy prince. 

Logan found Remy in the woods without any problems, sensing the oncoming onslaught of questions from a mile away. 

For once, however, it seemed his senses were wrong. Remy just smiled as he saw him and nodded behind him. 

“I can torment you with questions later. For now, we have to get you back to Janus.”

Logan nodded and caught up with him before letting him lead the way home. “He’s not mad at me, is he?..” 

“Of course not. I promise, he’s just really worried about you.” Remy gave him a reassuring smile and put a hand on his shoulder as they walked. “I think this is the one time you can be sure that you won’t be lectured to death.” 

Logan almost missed Janus’s lectures. It had only been a night and a few hours, but he missed his brother, especially since he’d left without warning. He didn’t even realize he was going to run until he was already out of the cemetery and in the woods.

The walk back home felt almost too long and as soon as the building was within his sight, Logan broke into a sprint, leaving Remy behind as he ran home and went inside, finding Janus up in his room. 

As soon as he opened the door, Janus looked up from where he sat on his bed and gasped, immediately rushing to pull Logan into a hug. 

“Don’t ever run away like that again..” he said softly, crying softly as he felt Logan return the hug. 

“I’m sorry..”

“I missed you so much, Logan, I would’ve went looking for you myself if I’d gotten any sleep last night.” 

Logan let him go and looked up at him. “Did you call me Logan?..” 

Janus nodded and wiped his tears away. “Of course I did. It’s your name, after all.” 

Now it was Logan’s turn to burst into tears. He clung to Janus’s chest and cried hard, fairly certain that the feeling of Janus’s hand soothingly rubbing his back was only making him cry harder. He’d waited years to tell Janus the truth out of fear and, here he was, taking to it almost immediately. 

“I’m so sorry that I kept calling you the wrong thing last night and everything else I said.. It was just so sudden, I didn’t think about what I was saying.. From now on, it’s just Logan, my brother.” 

Logan didn’t think it was possible to cry harder, but he did. As he did, he kept remembering the night before and the morning, all of the time he’d spent with Roman. Janus may not have hated him for being a boy, but he was definitely not going to be happy with the fact that he was in love with the prince.

Janus could sense that Logan was crying about more than just him using the right name and closed the door, carefully pulling him to sit down on the bed. “Hey.. What’s really up?” 

“You’re going to think I’m so stupid..” Logan managed to get out, slowly loosening his grip on Janus’s clothes. 

“You’re not stupid, Logan.. If you made a mistake, we can work to fix it.” 

Logan shook his head. “Not this one..” 

Now Janus was starting to get worried. Logan usually wasn’t one to be pessimistic or exaggerative, so this almost had to be serious. “What did you do?..” 

Logan paused for a second. “I should start by saying that I lied.. When Remy and I went out..." How should he even say this? "I like men and we went to a ball with other men who are the same way..”

“Oh..” Janus responded, relieved. Was that it? Was Logan just afraid that he wouldn’t approve of something like that. “I don’t care that you like guys.. I mean, I have no real preference myself, which some like to argue is worse.. Are you scared because you met a boy?..” 

“Not just any boy..” 

“Young love always feels like that,” Janus hummed. “Who is he?” 

“That’s the problem.. He’s the prince,” Logan finally spat out, almost regretting it as Janus’s face fell.

“Prince Remus?..” He was royalty, but at least he was someone the king hated.

Logan shook his head. “Roman.. The crown prince.”

“Oh..” Janus let his grip on Logan loosen a bit as he took in that information. Now, Logan’s reaction made so much more sense. 

“I’m sorry..” Logan sighed and held his head in his hands. “I promise I tried to stop myself from liking him.. I keep denying it, but I can’t stop myself..” 

“Is it love?..” Janus asked softly. 

Logan wasn’t sure how to answer that. “I don’t know.. I mean, I only met him a couple of nights ago, but it seems like I can’t avoid him.. I’m trying so hard to hate him or at least to feel indifferent, but I can’t.. I feel like he’s not even that great! I mean, he’s nice to me, but he’s also really dumb and so helpless and everything I swore I would never fall for..” 

Janus nodded a bit. He’d never felt anything as strong as what Logan was describing, but he did trust that Logan was not exaggerating in the slightest. “I’m not mad at you.. I should start with that.” 

“Well, I’m mad at myself.” Logan sighed and wiped his face. “It would be bad enough if I wasn’t... A Capulet.” He’d hardly thought about that since he’d gotten the news. The name still felt so foreign to him. “I mean.. It’s kind of my fate to try and take the kingdom back from his father, I highly doubt he’d appreciate that.” 

“If that tyrant was my father, I’d like to see him put in his place,” Janus commented. 

“I’m not joking, Janus..” 

“Neither am I. If he knows the kind of things that his father orders onto the people and he just lets it be, he’s not worth your time. Either way, if you’re still willing to reclaim your family’s name and you want to take back their kingdom, you shouldn’t let him get in the way..” 

Logan sighed. Even before he’d learned about his name, he would’ve gladly killed the king, given the opportunity. Now, he had a greater reason than his own opinions and he was second guessing himself? Over a boy? 

“Do you think he knows?.. I mean, does he seem like his father’s views are something he’d align himself with?”

Logan groaned and dropped his head back into his hands. “No! That’s the problem.. He’s so sweet and I honestly don’t think he knows what’s happening..” He looked back up at Janus. “He’s so dumb...” 

Janus almost laughed at that. “I almost feel like you’re more torn about that than who he is..” 

“It’s a close second.”

“At least he’s cute?” 

Logan shrugged. “You know I don’t care about that kind of thing. I just... Should I feel bad about this?..” 

Janus shook his head. “You said it yourself, you can’t stop yourself from feeling this way... If he cares about you as much as you seem to care about him, then you have no reason to feel bad about it. Just... Make sure that you’re careful, okay?.. You need to wait until you are absolutely sure that you can trust him to tell him what your name is. He doesn’t seem particularly malicious, but.. I don’t know, better safe than sorry...” 

Logan nodded. “I know that much.. I’m not at that level of stupid quite yet.” 

Janus laughed and kissed the top of his head. “You’re not stupid.. You’re in love.” 

In love... Logan made a habit of fighting armed authority figures with nothing but his own sword and Virgil as a distant distraction. He admitted to the person that he cared about most that he wasn’t the little sister that he’d known him as all his life. He was the last remaining member of a house that was slaughtered when he was just a toddler. Yet, without a doubt, this was the most scared he’d ever felt in his life. 


	12. Chapter 12

“Are you going to be okay?..” Janus asked after a minute. “I think Virgil would appreciate knowing that you’re back home.” 

Logan nodded. “Yes.. I feel like he’s going to need a lot of explanation.” 

“Probably more than anyone..” 

“So you’re a boy?” Virgil asked once they found him. 

“Yes.. Logan was originally the name of my disguise, but it’s actually who I am, as well.” 

Virgil nodded and shrugged. “Alright, Logan it is.” 

“That’s it?” Janus asked. “I mean.. You don’t have any questions or anything?” 

Virgil shook his head. “I mean, not about that. If he says he’s a boy, I’m not going to argue, he can kill me in a fight.” 

Logan smiled a bit at that. He did take a lot of pride in his fighting skills. 

“I am curious about the whole Capulet thing, though..” 

“Fair enough,” Logan replied. “But I’m about as confused as you are..” 

“What about?” Janus asked. 

“I mean.. They always talked about how every last member of the house was dead, but here he is... And, as close as you two are, here you are, too.. What’s up with that? I mean, does he know that Logan’s alive?” 

Janus thought about that for a few seconds, trying to figure out the best way to respond. “Yes... He does know about him, in a way. When everything happened, I ran away with him and my dad and we came here to hide out. My father ended up getting executed for a different reason, but things around his murder were just so quiet that it scared a lot of people... They tried to start a revolution, but it was too soon.. The fact that so many of them had blue tokens on when they died likely clued him into Logan’s existence and that’s why there’s so many girls being accused now... But he obviously won’t know that he’s actually a boy, which is a huge plus.” 

Virgil nodded. “Makes sense..” 

Logan sighed. “Those poor girls.. I wish I could do more to help them, or at least do something to help stop this sooner... But I know it would be completely irresponsible of me.” 

Janus rested a hand on his shoulder. “Keeping you alive and getting you ready to help lead our way is going to help those girls more in the long run, trust me. If they knew, I’m almost certain that they’d agree with me.” 

Logan just nodded. 

“Why don’t we go fix your hair cut?..” 

“Um... Yeah, that sounds best..” Logan said, reaching up to feel his messy hair. Cutting his low ponytail directly off of his head probably didn’t look as great as it felt. 

Janus took him upstairs and gave him a neater haircut, one that Logan could be proud to wear. 

“Am I going to have to change my training now?” Logan asked as Janus began cutting away. 

“No... I don’t think so. You’re already the best swordsman I know, better than the guards, obviously. And Virgil is scary good at archery.” 

That was true. Logan knew he wasn’t bragging by admitting it, too. “But what about hand to hand combat?.. I won’t always have a weapon on me.” 

Janus smiled. “I would hope you wouldn’t lose the sword I’m going to give you.” 

Logan turned to look at him. “What do you mean?” 

“First of all, don’t turn around while I’m cutting your hair,” Janus joked, waiting for him to turn back around before continuing. “Second, I was going to tell you last night before... You know...” 

“I know..” Before Logan freaked out and ran off. 

“It was your father’s. It’s heavier than what you’re used to, but I don’t doubt that you’ll learn to work with it in no time.”

“My father’s sword..” Logan repeated under his breath. “Did he used to fight?..” 

Janus smiled at that. “He did.. I’ve only heard stories, but he used to fight alongside the armies anytime there was any kind of war. It’s your family tradition, though there’s never been an army that let their monarch die. I will say, according to the books, your great grandmother used to make it tough to keep that promise when she was queen.” 

A queen fighting alongside her army. Obviously, Logan knew that women could fight just as well as men, he grew up as a girl himself and was more than able to become a better fighter than his male born counterpart, Virgil as well as the entire city guard. But he knew that King Montague would never do the same for his own citizens and he made it pretty clear that he didn’t think women were capable of much, especially noblewomen. “What was the kingdom like under Capulet... Under my family?..” For obvious reasons, Janus had never gotten too in depth with his history lessons and refused to teach him the narrative that the Capulets were tyrants. 

“It was a lot better than what it is now, that’s for sure... There weren’t people dying in the streets because the royal family always made sure to give away any extra food for free. They used to have a lot more teachers in schools with much more resources. Of course, there was a much smaller guard, especially since there was less for the people to fight about, but those who were guards were dedicated to protecting the people, not just in it for the power. The kingdom was happy and prosperous... Way different than it is now.” 

“Are there books?” Logan asked almost immediately. “There has to be some kind of record of this, some way to help me learn how they were able to do what they did so well.” He was supposed to be king after their revolution, after all. He needed to learn about what it took to be a leader, more than he needed to know how to fight. 

Unfortunately, that was one thing Janus couldn’t help him with. “They got rid of all of the records and the books... All I have is an old notebook with some important stories my dad thought you’d like. It might be a little help, but not what you’re looking for.” 

Right. Of course there wasn’t. Logan sighed and shut his eyes, resisting the urge to lean back in his chair. “I’d still love to read it...” 

“Of course..” Janus put down the scissors as he finished with Logan’s revised haircut. It was shorter, more masculine, and more presentable. “There we go. Fit for a king..” He kissed the top of Logan’s head and rested his hands on his shoulders, standing quietly for a second. “You know... You’re not going to be the only one starting from nothing. Once we do this, it’ll be a total reset for everyone. I understand that this is a lot of pressure, but nobody will expect someone your age to know everything about ruling. And the older loyalists and I will be right there to help you recreate the beautiful kingdom that this used to be, okay?..” 

“Okay..”

Janus stood up straight and patted his shoulders one last time before walking out, leaving Logan with his own thoughts. 

Logan wasn’t prone to usually have any kind of emotional response or, at least, not very visible ones, but he was pretty sure he had a right to be scared about this. He was going to have to be a king someday and he was just finding out now, as a teenager. He couldn’t blame Janus, of course, he’d been told not to tell him, but that didn’t make it any less scary. Not only that, but he was the face of a revolution, the face of a cause that almost died with the man who’d spent the last few years of his life trying to keep him safe and hidden. It was a lot of pressure, but Logan could only hope he’d get used to it. 

“I’m back,” Janus announced a few minutes later as he came in with the same wrapped up sword that he’d had the night before. 

Logan stood up and turned to face him, his posture a little straighter than usual, if that was possible. 

Janus sat down on his bed with him and unwrapped the sword, revealing the surprisingly bright steel and the different blue accents that decorated the handle. “You know... Your family would’ve been proud of the man that you are today. I know you may think otherwise because it’s not what they expected you to become, but I’m certain that they would’ve accepted you just as easily as we have here.” 

Logan doubted that. He wasn’t sure that anyone who wasn’t like him would accept him unless he saw it for himself. In fact, he was surprised that Roman was so okay with it. Thinking about it, Logan was pretty sure that he was subconsciously trying to chase Roman away. Either that or he wanted to make sure up front that he wouldn’t run off when he eventually did find out. But he couldn’t say that to Janus, not about his own parents and especially not about how he thought Janus was going to respond. “Thank you..” he said instead, nodding a bit. “I like to think so too.” At least that wasn’t a lie. 

“You know... Things were better for people like us back then. I know it might sound like I’m just being idealistic, especially since we were both so young by then, but my dad told me all about it. It wasn’t perfect, obviously, but it was easier.” Janus liked to believe that, but he’d never seen proof himself. 

“I’ll try to bring back that kind of peace,” Logan promised. 

Janus smiled and put a hand on Logan’s shoulder. “You’re going to do great... You’re going to live up to their legacy, I know it.” 

“Thank you..” Logan faked a smile and shifted to lift the sword off of his bed, needing both hands to do so. Janus was right, it was quite a bit heavier than he was used to. It was going to take some strength training as well as some extra combat practice to get used to it. “I’m not sure I should use it now...” 

“Oh, um..” Janus began, unsure of how to say what he wanted to say. “I actually feel like it might be better if you don’t use that sword anywhere too public until it’s time to take down the king. Or, at least, until we make a really big move. Ultimately, it is your choice to say when you’ll want to use it, but the blue accents on here are so Capulet that there’s no way that the king won’t figure out who you are if you use it as the Blue Tropic.. Does that make sense?..” 

Logan mentally slapped himself. What was he thinking? Of course everybody would recognize the sword. It may have been fifteen years, but there was no way the king wouldn’t have taught his guards every possible sign that a Capulet heir lived - especially now that he knew that one lived - and the sword would’ve been a dead giveaway. “Of course.... I don’t know what I was thinking..” 

Janus smiled sympathetically and put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re stressed... I’d be surprised if you weren't at least a little bit nervous about this, it’s okay.. You’re going to need to take some time to adjust to everything you’ve learned and that’s okay. While we do want to take care of getting rid of the king as soon as we can, rushing you won’t do anybody any good. You’ll be able to have as much time as you need to train and mentally prepare and mentally accept everything. Some people might be a little more impatient with you, but they wouldn’t be doing anybody any favors either. Ultimately, it’s all up to you. Okay?..” 

Logan nodded, but there was no way this kind of pressure was going away anytime soon. “Thank you...” But this was a big deal. Nobody should have to wait that long for him, not when it came to something that big. 


	13. Chapter 13

Logan spent the rest of the day resting up and starting to get himself used to his father’s sword. It wasn’t his sword, which was more of a rapier than a long sword like this new one, but he felt pretty confident in saying that he’d be able to use it within a few weeks at most. That’s why, the next day, he woke up earlier than usual and went out to his and Virgil’s usual training spot in the basement. When Virgil found him, he was struggling to figure out how he could best attack the wooden dummies they trained on, too used to his own, much lighter weapon. 

“Logan?” Virgil called, keeping a fair distance from him. 

He let his arms fall and turned to face Virgil, beyond exhausted. 

“What are you doing?..” 

“Um..” Logan stood up straight and stretched, feeling the muscles in his arms and back scream at him from the extra weight. “Janus gave me my father’s sword and I thought I should practice with it... It’s heavier than I’m used to.” 

“Oh... Mind if I join you?..” 

“Maybe not with this one.. I’m so unused to it that I’m afraid it might slip and I wouldn’t want to hurt you.”

Virgil nodded. “I get it. I wanted to practice, but I don’t want to bother you. You seem like you were working really hard.” 

Logan shrugged and put the sword in its holster. “I could use a break from it.. You know I usually work better with something a little lighter, anyways.” Though he had to admit, feeling the weight of that sword truly did explain why Janus tried to get him to work with something heavier when he was figuring out what kind of weapon he wanted to use. 

“Yeah and maybe I can give you some more help with archery in the woods later?” There was a small clearing not too far from their home, it was a good place to practice where they never got caught. 

“Sounds good.” He stretched his arms and groaned. “I really need to read up on how to gain some extra strength..” He was athletic for sure, but strength wasn't his best skill. 

The two of them spent about an hour sparring, Logan making sure to take it easy on Virgil since he didn’t really get in as much practice with it as Logan would’ve liked for him to. 

“You know, it could make it easier for you to help me,” Logan pointed out. “If you get better with a sword, you can fight with me instead of sneaking about behind me..” He was always at least a little worried about Virgil feeling like he was any lesser for it. 

But, like always, Virgil shook his head, seeming uninterested. “As long as I can hold my own and stay on the defensive, I’m fine. You know archery is more my thing, anyways.” He just wanted to make sure that Logan wasn’t overdoing it with the heavier sword and he knew the only way to get him to stop practicing was to get him practicing something else. “Besides, it’s kind of cool being the secret rogue kind of guy. Nobody knows who I am or that I’m with you.” He just blended in with the crowd. 

“If you insist...” 

Out in the forest, the dynamics were switched up like always. Logan could definitely shoot near a target, but getting a perfect shot was always a lucky shot. 

“I don’t know how you can be so good with this thing.. I can barely see the bullseye, of course I can’t hit it.” 

Virgil stared down at the target and raised his bow, hitting the center dead on. “I guess I just have better eyes than you. At least you’re not that bad with moving targets.” 

“Yeah, when they’re close enough.” It was the reason why he was good with moving targets, they were usually headed right at him. Plus, most of them were humans, so even a shot in the leg was good enough to stop them. 

Virgil sighed and watched Logan as he released another arrow into the shrubbery around their target trees. “I mean, your stance is pretty much perfect. You literally shouldn’t be as bad as you are.” 

“I’m just not built for archery,” Logan concluded. 

Virgil shrugged and shot another arrow into a different bullseye. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses, he supposed. 

When Roman began working that morning, the last thing he expected was that he’d have to go see his dad, but life always seemed to surprise him. 

“Your highness, the king is calling for your presence in his office...” 

“Really?..” He sighed. “Alright, I’ll be there in a minute. Thank you.” The king was Roman’s father, but that didn’t mean he was particularly fond of him. It really just meant that he listened to what he told him to do. 

Roman went down to his father’s office, taking a deep breath before knocking on the door. 

“Come in,” his voice called from the inside, cold as always. 

Roman stepped inside and smiled at him, shutting the door behind him. “Good morning.. You were calling for me?” 

“Do you think I’m stupid?” 

Roman paused for a second, surprised by the question. “Uh- No! No, of course not. Why do you ask?..” 

“Roman, you are my son. Don’t you think that I can tell the difference between my two sons? Especially if one of them is an honorable prince and the other is a less than honorable reject?” 

God, he hated how he talked about Remus... But he had to focus on the matter at hand. “What are you talking about?” 

“I’m talking about how you were clearly missing for almost a full 12 hours. I gave you a little time to settle back in, but don’t think that I was so stupid as to not be able to tell.” The king looked up at him with a stern expression. “Don’t try to lie your way out of this one, just tell me the truth. When did you leave the palace and why?” 

Roman bit the inside of his cheek. He was sure they wouldn’t have gotten caught, otherwise he never would’ve let Remus take one of the team. “What makes you think I left?.. Was there something strange about the way I was acting?..” 

“So you’re going to try and convince me that it was you mouthing off at me yesterday morning?” 

Yeah, that sounded like Remus. 

“And are you going to convince me that Remus just happened to shave that god awful thing on his face for fun at the exact same time? Don’t lie to me, Roman,” he continued, somehow managing to sound more stern. “You are the heir to my throne, the pride of the kingdom. Tell me the truth now.” 

Roman didn’t even think about what he would say if he and Remus were caught, he was so focused on meeting Logan. What he did know was the truth was the last thing he could say. 

“I’m waiting.” 

“You’re right,” he blurted out, hoping he knew what he was saying. “I did sneak out... But please, don't blame Remus. He tried to convince me to stay, but I couldn't, I saw an opportunity to go and I had to take it. It’s not his fault...” 

The king narrowed his eyes at him. “How did you escape without being caught? Is it how Remus keeps disappearing when I need him?” 

“No, sir. I asked how he left so secretly, but he refused to tell me. Once I came up with my own idea for leaving, I made him promise to cover for me. I was supposed to get back before anyone would notice, I didn’t know he did that for me until I got back. He shouldn’t get in any trouble...” Roman paused for a second and hoped his next lie would work as well. “I just walked out of the front gates... I don’t remember who it was or what time it was, but I just begged the guard to let me out and I swore there wouldn’t be any repercussions. Please don’t punish anyone for my stubbornness...” Especially when the castle guards had nothing to do with it. 

The king paused and hummed in thought, still glaring at his son. “Alright, I won’t. But if you ever do something like this again, everyone involved will be paying for it. And that includes that god awful brother of yours.” 

Roman nodded and looked down in feigned shame, sighing in relief. “I just wanted to observe the kingdom for myself... Without any guards watching my every move. If I’m going to run this kingdom someday, I’ll need some sort of idea of what kind of people are out there and how we can stop all of the criminals that run around like they own the place. Maybe then, we can cut down the amount of men we have keeping the kingdom secure. They’re so intimidating sometimes...” And, at times, they were the criminals running around. But Roman was certain he could help stop that if he took a look around the town for himself. 

The king just laughed at him. “Please, you’d die out there if you stayed for more than a few hours. We have advisors and guards to tell us what’s going on out there.” 

“I know.. And I trust them, but...” How could he even say this? “I don’t know.. I just feel like it would be best if I saw for myself. I’d just feel better...” He looked back up at his father. “I could take someone with me. Emile, or even Remus. Just to make sure I don’t get hurt.. I know you don’t trust Remus as any kind of royalty, but surely, you trust him to protect me as a brother.” 

“Do you realize what you’re asking me? You’re the crown prince to my kingdom. If you were to get hurt, the throne wouldn’t go to any heir of mine.” 

Not even to Remus, the second prince. “I understand... But I can go out in plain clothes, nobody will recognize me.” 

Finally, the king started to realize that Roman would not back down. “Alright. Take Emile, the next time he’s free. Or, I suppose, Remus, since he doesn’t do anything useful. But do not go anywhere until your work for the day is done, do you understand? And do not go out after dark. I do not need any stress because you wanted to play spy, do you understand?” 

Roman nodded quickly, smiling. “Yes, sir. Thank you so much, I promise you won’t regret this.” 

“Dismissed.” 

Roman left the room and went back to his own room, getting his work done as quickly as he could while still making sure everything was done right. Not only was this a pass to go out and check on the citizens of the kingdom he would one day rule, it was an excuse to go see Logan. 


	14. Chapter 14

As he worked, Emile stepped into the room with a secretive expression on his face. “Good morning, Roman.. I wanted to talk to you about something..” 

He smiled and put down his pen, leaning back in his chair. “Of course, come in. It’s just the two of us in here, don’t worry.” 

“Great.. I heard your father was talking to you, I wanted to make sure there weren’t any guards around,” he said as he shut the door behind him. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to see Remy today, if you wanted me to pass any notes?”

“Oh! About that,” Roman began, hopping out of his seat to go over to his friend. “My father said I could leave the palace as long as I’m with your or Remus in plain clothes! I mean, obviously, I won’t be joining you, you deserve your private time with Remy, but I was wondering if you could take me out at once in a while?.. If not, it’s perfectly fine, I can always ask Remus...” 

Emile seemed a bit hesitant to agree to that. “I mean... I definitely could once in a while.. But I really need my job here in the palace. I mean, with the pay I get here, I could take Remy somewhere we can be married someday...” He smiled to himself and paused, imagining what that would be like, stopping himself when he realized Roman was still there. “Sorry... Obviously, I won’t do that until after I see my friend become king, but I know those laws can be really hard to change, especially with the council that you have..”

Marriage... Of course Emile would want to marry Remy someday, they deserved a happy ending together. Marriage just sounded so impossible. “Are there really places you could do that?..” 

“Surprisingly enough, there are. Remus actually has a whole log of places where it’d be okay, he let me know when things between me and Remy started getting a little more serious. Actually, there’s a kingdom about a week away from here where we could go. They used to be one of our trade partners under Capulet rule, but the king didn’t want to trade with anyone who allowed that kind of thing...” 

“Really?..” Roman asked, though he didn’t know why he was surprised by that. 

“Yeah... But in the books, it technically says that the king stopped trading with them because of unethical means of creating their goods.” Emile just shrugged at that. It definitely wasn’t the only lie that the king told. 

“Of course he would say that, nobody would question those tyrants trading with someone like that..” he muttered before being struck with an idea. “Hey, maybe I could read up more on their rule to help me figure out what not to do. Are there any books I could use somewhere?” 

Emile hummed in thought for a second. “Yeah, there’s some books deep in the library’s storage. I don’t think anybody ever really checks on what’s down there, so I’m sure you could just walk in and grab whatever you need.” 

Roman nodded. Alright, that would work out pretty well. He knew that what he was doing wasn’t suspicious, obviously, but his father hated the idea of any of them learning anything about the Capulet rule that wasn’t taught to them, which was all stuff that Roman wanted to know. 

“Did you need anything else?..” 

“Oh! Right, sorry.” He went back to his desk and looked through the papers before pulling out an envelope. “I hid it in there in case someone came in.. But, yes, this is for Logan. Thank you so much, you are a life saver...” 

Emile smiled and took the envelope, tucking it into his bag. “It’s no big deal, it’s just a letter. Plus, I’m in a similar situation, remember?” 

“Yeah, I know.. Still. Thank you.” 

“Of course.” Emile nodded and left the room. 

Roman smiled to himself and got back to work. The faster he could get through it, the faster he could make plans to see Logan. Assuming he answered to the letter, that was. 

After a while, he decided to take a break and go visit his very dear brother, making a note to himself to do something really nice for him. As usual, Remus was in his room, this time reading instead of writing or drawing. 

“Hey, Remus, can I come in?” Roman asked as he poked his head through the door. 

Remus nodded and looked up at him, shutting his book. “Yeah, what do you want?” 

“A favor... Well, maybe. Um...” He tried to figure out what he wanted to say. “Our father said-” 

“No offense, but you know I don’t really see him that way,” Remus said with a shrug. “He doesn’t want me to be his son, I won’t be his son.” 

“Right, sorry...” Remus didn’t like addressing him as the king, either. He didn’t like addressing him in general, but when he had to, it was as Roman’s father. “My father said he’d allow me to leave the palace to go and see the people I’m going to rule over for myself one day, instead of relying on advisors and guards. The only catch is I’d need you or Emile to come with me..” 

“Wow, he’s allowing me such an honor?” Remus asked sarcastically. “He’s not afraid I’m going to kill you with my bare hands in an attempt to steal his precious throne from him?” 

Hearing Remus talk that way about his father stung deep down, but it didn’t make him feel anything nearly as strong as hearing his father talk about Remus, so Roman just kind of shrugged that off. “Yeah.. I was kind of surprised to, but I think he realized that I wasn’t going to be swayed.” Roman tended to get a lot of what he wanted pretty easily at the cost of spending most of his time as the good, obedient son who rarely strayed from what his father told him to do or who his father wanted him to be. “I’m not asking you to come with me now, I’m asking what kind of time restrictions you might have or if you’d even mind taking me out at all.” 

Remus hummed in thought. “Are we actually going to be playing spy or are you going to be looking for this boy of yours?” 

“Logan,” Roman corrected, unconsciously starting to smile. “His name is Logan.. And I’d be going out for him.. I wouldn’t really care what you’d want to do, you could do your own thing until it was time for us to go back, but... Yeah.. I want to see him, if he wants to see me.” 

Remus nodded a bit. “Does he want to see you?” 

“I mean... He said he’d give me a chance to show him why we should be together.. He’s not really as eager about this as I am, but I can tell he has feelings for me... And I sent Emile with a letter for him, asking him when it’d be okay for me to take him out and do so.” 

“Okay... Well, I don’t really do much around here. You know I’ve got this Anne of Cleves situation going on, I can go with you whenever you want.” 

Roman sighed, relieved. He asked so much of Remus and Remus did so much for him that sometimes, it surprised him when he just stayed kind. “Thank you...” 

“Don’t be so surprised, I do things for you all the time. You know I don’t mind, especially since you actually like me and stand up for me.” It may have sounded like a pretty low standard, and it was, but it was a standard that only a handful of people met. It was a standard that Roman had soared over. Remus already had everything he could ever want. Being unofficially disqualified from the throne and accepting it without a fight meant that he had the lavish life of a prince without having to do any of the work, he just had to not be himself in a way that would tie him to the king. Having Roman’s love and acceptance felt like a bonus, but, really, it was the one thing he needed. But saying that out loud would’ve been too cheesy, so he just showed it. 

“I’ll make this up to you..”

“You don’t have to. You’re my brother and that’s more than enough reason for me to do you a few favors.” 

Roman just nodded and left the room. Honestly, he respectfully disagreed with Remus. He knew that there was a pretty big difference between how much Remus did for Roman and how much Roman did in return. Unlike Remus, however, he wasn’t exactly aware of how desperate for attention and acceptance Remus was. 

In Roman’s eyes, Remus was brave enough to hold an illegal event every month and it was no secret that he was the favorite brother amongst the people, which his father said was just because there were so many crooks hidden amongst the citizens that of course they’d be biased towards the “immoral” of the two twins, as his father had put it. But Roman couldn’t exactly see what Remus meant. After all, Roman had Patton and Emile. He had the conditional love of their father, even though he was aware that it was a conditional love. Hell, he had Logan now. But Remus... Remus just had Roman. And he’d do anything to keep him. 


	15. Chapter 15

Emile smiled to himself as he showed up at Remy’s house, knocking on the door. The two of them had been acquaintances for years before they actually began speaking and, eventually, dating. It was actually at one of Remus’s masquerade balls that they began speaking, though it wasn’t an immediate connection. Instead, they’d started with a different arrangement and it was about a year into that that Emile asked Remy to go out with him. 

At the time, it was definitely strange and a little scary, but even without any kind of outside support, neither of them regretted a thing. Of course, they had their share of hardships: losing places where they could stay in fear of being caught and having to hide in dark alleys to share even a few seconds of physical affection. Remy couldn’t risk bringing Emile inside, he was too scared of how Janus may react when he saw who it was. It was why Emile was so ready to help Roman, even if a bit hesitant to put himself in any kind of danger. He knew the value of a little support. 

Remy opened the door after a minute and grinned, pulling Emile inside. “Hey there... I’m not quite ready, things around here have been so crazy these past couple of days...” 

“I imagine.. Speaking of, things are only going to get more hectic.. It turns out Logan’s little admirer and Roman’s secret crush are each other. And Roman says telling Logan who he was didn’t blow up in his face.” 

Remy smiled at that. Of course they talked about them to each other, it was always great seeing those kinds of relationships work out well. “You know about that too? Isn’t it so cute? I think they’re the cutest little couple!” 

Emile nodded and reached into his bag, pulling out Roman’s letter. “Yeah. In fact, Roman asked me to give this to you for Logan. He told me to ask if Logan could have a response by the time I bring you home so I can give it to him.” 

Remy took it and resisted the urge to open it himself. “Okay, I’ll let him know. Give me a few more minutes and I’ll be ready. Just wait out here.” He kissed his cheek and left, heading to the hidden second - and third, counting the bedrooms - story of the building. 

“Logan!” he called once he got there. “I have something for you!” 

Logan dashed down the stairs, trying to make his break from his studies as brief as possible. “What is it?” 

“A letter from your true love,” Remy responded in an over dramatic, teasing tone, bowing as deep as he could while holding the letter out. 

Logan rolled his eyes and snatched it away, inspecting the outside carefully. It may have been a letter from Roman, but the royal insignia on the wax seal still didn’t sit right with him. “Thanks..” 

Remy nodded. “Emile said Roman said he’d like it if you responded to it by the time I got home, so Emile can take it back. Do you need me to distract Janus for you?..” 

Logan shook his head. “No.. I actually told him. I kind of told him everything... And... I still can’t believe that he was so okay with it.” 

“Well, of course he was,” Remy said with a shrug. “He’s your brother, of course he’d understand that you’re not doing this to hurt him. And it’s not like you can choose your feelings.” 

“Right... Um... I’ll make sure to try and write my response. Thank you. Have fun with your partner, by the way.” 

“I will.” Remy ran over to his own room and quickly finished getting ready before leaving with him. 

Logan went back up the stairs with much less vigor and almost hesitated to go back into his own room, seeing as Janus was waiting for him up there. 

“Is something wrong? You’re usually out and back for study time in a minute.” 

“No, um..” He showed him the envelope. “Roman wrote me a letter. I’m going to read it and write a response before I get back to studying, if that’s alright with you?” 

“Of course it is,” Janus insisted, standing up. “I mean... You’re great at math, I know a few minutes isn’t going to ruin your progress. And we’ve been at this all day, you can spare a few minutes. I’ll give you a minute to yourself.” 

“Thank you.” 

Janus nodded and left in an awkward rush. He may not have been mad about Logan having feelings for the prince - he was worried, but definitely not mad - but that didn’t mean he wasn’t awkward about his little brother having any kind of crushes. 

Logan took a deep breath before opening the letter and reading it. 

[Logan] it began simply, though there was a “dear” scratched out before it. 

[I should probably start by addressing how I knew where to find you. It’s a crazy coincidence, but my friend Emile is actually the boy who’s dating your friend Remy. Crazy right? I guess if fate wasn’t going to get us together in the forest, this was a clever backup.]

[Now, to the point of the letter, I have great news, depending on how you see it. My father has given me permission to leave the palace without the guards watching me, The only thing I need is either my friend Emile or my brother Remus. I know you’re not a fan of him after what he did at the ball, but I promise he’s a lot more cool most of the time and he doesn’t even have to be around us the entire time. I just need my dad to believe that he’s watching me.] His dad, the king. That was another detail that Logan still wasn’t quite used to. 

[If you’d want to meet so we could hang out together, purely as friends,] Is what it said, though, again, Logan saw the words “go on a date” scratched out. To be fair, Roman probably wasn't expecting for Logan to actually look at the impressions the pen left on the paper in order to figure out what was written and blocked out. [just let me know when you’d be free and where I could meet you. If you don’t want to, it’s fine and you don’t have to answer this letter if it’s too much pressure. I just thought I should let you know since you did say you would give me a chance to prove myself.] That entire last two sentences were blocked out, but Logan wouldn’t have been too mad if he left them in. It was fair, he did say he would give him a chance as friends and that was what Roman was asking for. 

[Sincerely,] There was a “yours” blocked out after that. [Roman] 

Well... Logan definitely couldn’t deny that Roman was trying hard to make sure that he wasn’t feeling too pushed or uncomfortable with this entire situation. It would be pretty rude if Logan just didn’t answer. Heck, it would be rude of him to not at least agree to meet him once. And Janus was telling him that he needed a little break from training. Logan nodded to himself, feeling sure about his actions, and wrote down his response, sealing its envelope with a simple, white wax seal. 

It was only a few hours before Roman got that response, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t an incredibly nerve wracking few hours. It took all of his willpower not to start bombarding Emile with questions when he stepped into the room, but it wasn’t like he could just treat Emile like he was some messenger. He was his friend. 

“Hey, did you have fun?” he asked instead, trying to seem as causal as possible. 

Emile smiled and pulled out Logan’s letter. “We did, but I know you’re probably pretty eager to open this letter. You don’t have to hide it, I understand.” 

Roman smiled sheepishly and crossed over to him, taking the letter. “Thank you... I really do appreciate this. It means a lot that you agreed to do this.” 

“Of course. You know I’m not a stranger to sneaking around like this. I know having some help is invaluable,” he said with a shrug. 

Roman nodded. “I am glad you enjoyed your day. You’re still my friend.” 

“Thanks.. I’ll see you later.” He gave him a nod and walked out of the room. 

Obviously, Roman didn’t hesitate to open the letter, though he did take a minute to admire Logan’s penmanship. It was so neat and almost blocky, so different from the curly handwriting that Roman had. He smiled to himself and managed to get through reading Logan’s name before there was a knock at the door. 

“Hey, it’s Patton. Mind if I come in?” 

“Uh...” Roman rushed to hide any evidence of his potential relationship with Logan, including the ring he still had. “Yeah, come in,” he said, his voice cracking. 

Patton stepped inside and smiled. “Hey, sorry to bother you. You’re usually done working by now... I heard that Remus was taking your place a couple of days ago, is that what’s keeping you?” 

Of course Patton knew about it, rumors spread like wildfire in the castle. “No. I mean, he did do that, but he took care of my work for then. I’m just trying to get ahead...” 

“Right...” He shut the door and walked across the room, pulling up a chair to sit across his friend’s desk. “So, there’s a pretty obvious question to ask there. Why were you gone?.. I mean, are you okay? You’ve been acting weird ever since Remus forced you out of here... Did something happen to you then?..” 

Something did happen. Roman had an instant connection with a guy who was done with him the second he found out who he was. Roman was finally experiencing the love he’d been craving for years and in less than a week, he’d risked his life to just get a chance at having it reciprocated. But he couldn’t say that to Patton. For one, it sounded insane when he put it that way. Second, he was pretty sure Patton would be less than cheery for him, especially since he was already engaged. Especially since he was in love with another guy. “Nothing happened. At least, nothing that you’re thinking. It was just a night of fun with people who were a lot nicer than I thought they’d be and I guess seeing them sneak about just to enjoy that one night gave me a bit of a brave streak.” 

“A brave streak is not what I saw in the carriage,” Patton joked. 

“Besides that. I mean, I did stand up to the Blue Tropic himself.” 

“Who turned out to be a little nicer than expected... Is that how it felt being around those other men?..” 

Did meeting someone he loved in a place where he felt scared and alone feel the same as finding out the person who saved his life was the guy he had feelings for? Kind of. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean..” Patton paused for a second, trying to figure out how to phrase it. “You expected them to be a little more threatening to you. And it sounds like you genuinely had fun, right?” 

Roman nodded. “It was a lot of dancing around without any kind of expectations. It was pretty freeing, even if I felt kind of out of place, for obvious reasons.” 

“Well, yeah, obviously,” he said with a shrug. “And we both kind of thought we were going to get killed, but he was actually pretty safe to be around. And, I’m guessing, that you went outside for the same reason, to see if it was really as dangerous for you as everyone says it would be?”

Roman wasn’t thinking any of that. His brain only went as deep as seeing a pretty boy, his pretty boy, and wanting to talk to him. “Yes... That is.. Exactly what I was thinking. I’m just... surprised that someone else realized it.” 

Patton trusted Roman too much to realize he was clearly lying. He sounded like he was just genuinely surprised. “Of course I did, I’m your best friend. And I was right there with you when it happened..” 

It’s true, Roman did still consider Patton to be his closest friend, even if he didn’t feel like he could share a major part of himself with him. It just felt like something so silly to lose a friend over... Wasn’t it? 

“Oh! Sorry, I forgot why I came in here. I just thought you’d like a fair warning that Elizabeth is coming to see you in a bit,” he said with a wink. 

Oh, god, how could Roman remember that he was engaged and forget that he had a fiance? 


	16. Chapter 16

No matter what he did, Roman couldn’t get out of this now, he had to see his fiancee. The prince nodded and began putting away some of his work away. “Thanks for the warning.. I’ll make myself presentable. And I should probably eat something..” What time was it? It definitely felt like it was past lunch time. 

“I’ll get you some food, don’t worry. But I hope you know she’ll have something to say about you being cooped up all day and about getting out of the palace without security.” 

Of course she would because she was probably the sweetest person Roman knew. It almost made him feel guilty about his inability to like women. Well, more guilty than he already felt. “I know.. Thanks, Patton.” 

“No problem.” Patton gave him one last smile before walking out of the room. 

Roman groaned and got himself ready to see her. As he did, his food arrived at his room and he scarfed down as much as he could, interrupted by a knock on his door about half an hour later. 

“Your highness, Lady Elizabeth is waiting to see you down in the garden.” 

Roman quickly finished the last of what he was working on before brushing off his clothes. “I’ll be right there in a minute,” he called back. Once he was done, he went down the stairs and to the garden, finding his betrothed standing by the rose bushes as usual. “Hi, Elizabeth...” he said as he approached her, giving her a warm smile. 

“Hi, Roman,” she responded, giving him a curtsy. 

Roman smiled and took her hand, kissing it briefly. “It’s been a while since I last saw you, how have you been?” 

“Well, I missed you, but I think that goes for every day I don’t get to see you.” 

“You only think so?” 

She shook her head. “I know so, but I think your ego is inflated enough without my help.” 

Roman just laughed at that and held his arm out, letting her grab onto his elbow. He didn’t dislike Elizabeth in the slightest, they actually got along really well. But he didn’t love her. He couldn’t love her. He felt pretty guilty about it, but he learned to drown that out with the rest of his guilt.

“There’s also something I wanted to talk to you about. I heard from Patton that you’ve had an interesting last few days..” 

There were a few different things she could be talking about and Roman wasn’t sure which possibility he was the most scared of. 

“Is it true that you snuck out of the palace? And now, you’re overworking yourself to make up for it?..” 

Roman didn’t want her knowing that either, but it wasn’t the worst thing she could confront him about. “It’s true.. I wanted to see what it was really like out in the kingdom, to see what the people are really like. And, I know what you’re going to say, I should just listen to the advisors and guards, but-” 

“Actually... I kind of think that’s very sweet of you.” 

Roman paused for a split second, surprised. She was the last person he’d expect to just be okay with what he’d done. “Really?.. I thought you’d be critical of me putting myself in potential danger.” 

She shrugged. “I know my worries won’t be able to stop you... I’m just glad that you’re safe. And I do think it’s very sweet, you’re just trying to make sure that your people are okay and you want to see what they’re like for yourself. I can understand that.” 

Roman nodded. “Exactly... Thank you.” 

“Besides, Patton told me all about the terrible incident at the parade... It’s why I came to check up on you in the first place, but ever since I found out about your new friend, I couldn’t be too worried about you.” 

And the alarms in Roman’s head started blaring again. “My... My friend?” 

Elizabeth giggled and nudged him playfully. “You don’t have to play coy with me, Patton told me all about how you two got saved..” She looked around a bit, knowing that the king probably wouldn’t have been too happy if he found out who Roman had been talking to. “The Blue Tropic... Patton said that he was actually really nice, so, obviously, he must’ve been the one making sure you were safe. Is it true? Is he really as nice as Patton said?” 

Elizabeth visited their kingdom frequently in order to visit Roman, but she, apparently, wasn’t there enough to know how much everyone really hated the Blue Tropic in their palace. To her, he was a vigilante, but he wasn’t a danger to any kind of the nobles. 

“Right... Yes. That’s what happened. You really shouldn’t let anybody else know... Obviously, you wouldn’t be able to know better, but he’s not exactly a fan of anybody in the palace... The only reason he was kind enough to make sure I stayed safe was because...” He trailed off as he tried to come up with an excuse. “He knew that I wanted to just check on the people. We’re not exactly friends, but if I’m acting for the good of the people, he’ll understand.” 

Elizabeth squealed and pulled him in a little closer. “That sounds like such an adventure... As long as you promise me that you’ll stay safe out there, can you tell me a bit about it? Maybe you can take me out and show me around, do you think he’d help make sure you were safe if you were taking out a lady?” 

Yeah... Roman was pretty sure the quickest way to lose potentially having Logan as a boyfriend would be to have him chaperone a date with his girlfriend. “I... I don’t know. As much as I would love to, I wouldn’t want to take advantage of his kindness. One day, when I am king, I’ll make things safe enough for us to walk around as we please.” 

“Okay... You’re so sweet.” She stood on her toes and leaned up, kissing his cheek. 

Roman smiled, though this time, it was as fake as the rest of his smiles had been. She may have been a complete ball of light, but that only made him feel that much more guilty about lying to her. “How long are you going to be here?..” 

She shrugged. “Just a couple of days.. But I promise, I’ll start visiting more frequently when the wedding gets closer. It’s coming along really nicely, I think you’re going to be really happy with what I come up with.” 

As much as Roman wished he at least had control over his own wedding, he was saddened to say that almost all of the planning went to Elizabeth, as the lady in the relationship. “I don’t doubt it for a second.” 

Elizabeth smiled and followed Roman as he continued leading her around the garden. “Are you nervous?..” 

Less nervous, more absolutely terrified, but Roman had tried to make peace with his fate. “Of course not. Why would I be nervous to marry someone as great as you?” 

She nodded a bit. “I kind of am... I want to make sure I’m going to be a good enough queen for your kingdom... I know there’s a lot to live up to, I just want to be sure that I’m going to be the best that I can be..” 

Roman smiled sympathetically. That much, he could relate to. “I understand, but I know you. You’re almost too sweet and you’re incredibly smart. You’re going to make a perfect queen. And you’re going to be a great wife.” 

“Thank you... I can tell that you’re going to be a great king and a great husband as well.” 

If only he could see that as a compliment. 

The two of them continued walking around the garden until it was time for dinner, Roman excusing himself to his room for the rest of the evening afterwards. 

Remus poked his head into his room after a few minutes with a knowing expression on his face. “How are you doing?” 

Roman sighed and shrugged, throwing himself onto his bed. “I feel awful...” 

“What for? Scared that your lover boy’s going to find out about Elizabeth?” 

“Kind of the opposite...” He hadn’t put much thought into how he believed Logan might react and he wanted to keep it that way for at least a little bit longer. “I feel bad for her. She deserves someone who’ll love her back and she deserves to be running her own kingdom.” It was something that Roman was taking away from her, something that he felt guilty for every time she came around, though he was usually able to ignore it by reminding himself that she was going to be queen of their kingdom. 

Their engagement wasn’t a choice that either of them had made, but it was one that Roman should’ve seen coming. 

Soon after Roman had turned 13 a few years ago, his father started taking him around to other kingdoms for dinners and other events. Roman hadn’t noticed that the one thing they all seemed to have in common were princesses his age who seemed to be very interested in him. Most of them tried to impress him with talents and while he had been pretty easily impressed, he didn’t get along with them in the way he was supposed to. Elizabeth was the first one to just start talking to him and they’d become fast friends that night. A week later, their engagement was announced. It was only that last year that Roman found out that Elizabeth was the heir to the throne in her own kingdom, but she swore that she wasn’t upset about it. Still, it was the throne to her home kingdom. Roman couldn’t help but to feel guilty about it. 

“She might not care about that kind of thing, we both know that I don’t,” Remus reminded him. 

Roman shrugged. “No offense, but you’re allowed to stay in the same kingdom and in the same palace, just without a crown. It’s not exactly equal. Plus, you never wanted to be king.” 

That was only half true. Remus didn’t want to be the tyrant that their current king was, he wanted to help make the kingdom a peaceful and safe place. It was why he held the events that he did, to let people at least pretend that they were in a safe place for a night. “Well, you shouldn’t feel guilty for something your father forced onto you.” 

“I guess...” Roman muttered. 

“So, are you going to tell your lover boy about her at some point or did you forget that being married means you really aren’t allowed to be with anybody else?” 

Roman rolled his eyes, though he knew that it was a very valid question. “Of course I’m going to tell him just... I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have pretty good reason to be intimidated by him and I’m pretty within my rights to be nervous about telling him.” 

“Well, duh, he could kill you in the blink of an eye. All the more reason you should tell him sooner, before he actually starts wanting to like you back.” 

“It isn’t that he doesn’t want to!” Roman corrected, defensively. 

Remus raised a doubtful eyebrow at that. 

“... Okay, so maybe he doesn’t want to like me... I’ll tell him if he agreed to see me.” He sat up abruptly. “I never read his letter. Dang it, Patton came in to tell me about Elizabeth right after Emile came and gave me the letter, I never got to look at it...” 

Remus nodded. “So, are you going to read it now, or..?” 

“I mean, I kind of have to and I really want to. Do you mind leaving me alone for a few minutes?..” 

Remus shrugged. “I can bother you later, I guess.” He stepped out of the room. 

Roman took a deep breath and snuck over to his work space, grabbing the letter and taking it back to his room, running into Patton on the way there. 

“Hey, Roman, I was actually looking for you,” he said with a smile. “I was just checking on you, Elizabeth said you left kind of suddenly.” 

Roman shrugged. “Um... No, it’s not anything like that, I’m just tired from working all morning. I wanted to get some rest so I can start earlier tomorrow and get more work done so I can hang out with her.” 

“That’s really sweet, I’ll let her know you’re okay.” Patton smiled, his gaze slowly dropping to the envelope that Roman was doing a bad job of hiding. “Oh, I’m sorry, were you in the middle of something?” 

“Kind of?” Roman answered, unsure of how to respond without selling himself out. He knew that it definitely didn’t look like anything official, which was why he was trying so hard to hide it. In addition- 

“Why are you taking to back to your room? Kind of a strange place to read letters,” Patton asked, laughing a bit. 

Yeah, there was that. 


	17. Chapter 17

Roman wracked his brain, trying to come up with a decent excuse why he would be bringing any kind of letters to his own room. “I was just... Um...” 

“It’s not his letter,” Remus said as he popped up behind Patton. “I was talking to a prince in a different kingdom, one that you aren’t allowed to know the name of, and Roman was kind enough to agree to send letters between us, being the one with a crown and all.” 

Patton looked back at his friend, shocked. “Oh... Oh, my goodness, do you realize how angry your father would be if he found out you were helping him with this sort of mess?” He looked back at Remus, disapprovingly. “It’s none of my business if you get into this kind of thing, but you should leave your brother out of it. He has a really important duty to this kingdom and you shouldn’t get in the way of that just because you want to make your father angry.” 

Remus took a step closer, getting right in Patton’s face with his cool, calm grin. “Do not call that man my father. And I’m not making Roman do anything. Even if I was, he’s not in any trouble whatsoever. You and I both know that if he were to be found out, I’d be the one who got into trouble. He’s my brother, not yours. I’m the one who knows how to protect him, even if I need him to do me a favor once in a while.” 

Patton took a small step back. “He’s my friend. I’m allowed to worry about him.” 

Remus leaned in closer, looming over Patton. “He’s my brother. So, you might not know the things I’ve done to assure he stays out of trouble.” 

“Remus,” Roman warned. “Come on, back off.” 

Remus grumbled, but did as his brother asked, stepping back. 

“I should go... Roman, I’ll see you later.” Patton ducked his head and ran off, hoping to hide his red face. 

Roman sighed and looked back at his brother. “Remus, he’s a fragile guy, I think you made him cry.” 

“Oh, please, I didn’t threaten him. He’ll be fine and you heard how he was talking about me.” 

“Right. And he shouldn’t have spoken to or about you like that, but you don’t have to be so aggressive about it. All you’re doing is giving him a reason to be scared of you. You don’t need to prove him right.” 

Remus scoffed at that. “Roman, I love you, but you’re so stupid... If that’s what you think, then you don’t know your friend as well as you think you do, or anybody else around here, for that matter. I spent my entire childhood trying to be more than the cursed twin or the lesser brother. I know that you see me as that and it’s all I need. At this point, I just figure I might as well act however I want. I’ll get away with it, since I’m just being what they all think I am. It sucks, but I’ve gotten used to it over the years...” 

Roman hated to admit it, but he knew Remus was right. Of course, there would always be some hope in his heart that people would see his brother the way that he saw him. Remus only acted like some trashy, spoiled rich boy because it was exactly what everyone expected him to be. Roman was the only person who knew there was a deeper, kinder, though maybe not much gentler part of him. “I’m sorry... You’re right.” 

“Don’t be sorry. You’re probably the coolest person in this whole castle. It really evens out in the long run,” he shrugged before leaning in a bit closer. “Go read your letter from lover boy.” 

Roman smiled at that. “It’s Logan...” 

“I know. I’m going to call him ‘lover boy’.” Remus winked jokingly before walking off. 

There he went again, saving Roman from whatever popped up. He sighed and walked to his own room, hoping Logan’s sweet, or not-so-sweet, response would cheer him up from what just happened. He carefully opened the letter and read it to himself as he sat down on his bed. The first thing Roman noticed was that Logan’s letter didn’t have as many, or, rather, any, scratched out words. Either Logan knew what he wanted to say or he wasn’t double guessing himself nearly as much as Roman was. 

[Hi, Roman,] How did Roman forget he could’ve written a simple “hello”?! 

[What you said makes sense, I do remember that Remy said he was dating a nobleman. I wasn’t too happy with the idea at first, but I suppose I can’t judge if I’m going to be entertaining the idea of being with the prince. Speaking of which, I’m sorry for reacting so harshly to that and I hope you can understand why I did so. It’s truly nothing personal and I would’ve reacted that way to anybody in the palace.] Which was absolutely fair. Roman may not have been too happy about it, but Logan was a vigilante who fought against the guards who worked directly for the palace. He would’ve been delusional to expect any kind of warm reception, at least at first. 

[I’d be glad to meet you again, though I wouldn’t really be able to give you much of a set schedule. I’m busy most mornings and I spend afternoons patrolling the town for trouble. If you happen to go out on a quiet day, I would be glad to spend some time with you, seeing as I can fairly easily hide my disguise and get back into it as needed. I only ask that you wear the ring I gave you and make sure I’d be able to see it from the rooftops. That way, I’d be able to identify you without anybody else doing the same.] Smart. Logan really seemed to think this through.

[I’m glad you were able to find a way to work this out and I look forward to going on a date with you. Thank you for taking my feelings into account as much as you have and I promise I’ll start working to do the same for you.] A date... that made it official, they were dating. Roman grinned and kept reading the last few lines of the letter. [Please remember that this arrangement can’t be too open and we can’t do anything too extravagant, so don’t let the fact that it is a date change the fact that you have to be wearing regular clothing. For your safety and mine, please don’t get too excited.] Okay, he could take that. 

[Sincerely, Logan]

Logan’s signature was just as neat and tidy as the rest of his handwriting. Roman smiled at that and carefully hid the letter where he knew nobody else would search before laying down and thinking to himself. He felt like he’d already bothered both Remus and Emile enough about this situation, but he needed one of them to take him, at least whenever he was free to. Elizabeth was still there and while she was pretty easy to be around, that was time that he could’ve been spending trying to get Logan to like him, rather than to just tolerate him. 

Still, it was pretty unavoidable. All he could do was make the next few days go by as quickly and smoothly as possible before figuring out when he’d get the chance to go out with Logan. 

And that was exactly what he did. Roman spent the next few mornings being as efficient as he could with his work and getting as much of it done as he could before spending his afternoons trying to keep Elizabeth entertained, which was fairly simple as always. A walk through the garden, reading a book in the library, it would’ve been really nice to spend time with her if he could’ve forgotten Logan for more than two seconds at a time. 

When it was finally time for her to go home, Roman felt almost relieved and would’ve been pretty sure that it made him a bad person had it not been a familiar feeling. All throughout the first year or so of their engagement, Roman had felt queasy about the idea that he’d someday marry her. Of course, he’d gotten used to the idea over time, but it was definitely strange at first and it wasn’t long after that that he realized why. 

On the bright side, it also made him good at hiding his excitement as he went up to his office that afternoon and finished up some work before going and finding Emile. 

“Are you busy?” he asked, once he found him skimming through books in the library. 

Emile hummed in thought for a second before shaking his head. “No, I think I can take you out of the palace today.” 

Roman smiled and stood up straight. “Am I that obvious?..” 

He looked at him up and down before nodding. “Your face is red and your posture says that you’re nervous. You don’t have to worry, I’m sure this is going to go just fine,” he assured. “Let me change and I’ll meet you out by the gates, okay?” 

“Perfect, thank you!” Roman grinned and went up to his room, changing into some of the commoner clothes that Remus had given him, wishing that he’d had something with a bit more red rather than Remus’s favorite green, but he couldn’t complain. He slipped the ring onto his finger and put on a simple cloak before going out and meeting Emile, finding him dressed in simple beige and pink clothing as usual. The two of them left the palace and Emile made sure they were out of earshot before turning to Roman. 

“So, how long did you need me around? Not that I’m rushing to get away, it’s just a bit unclear.” 

Roman shrugged. “Oh, you can leave me now, I’m sure I’ll find him.” He held up the hand with the ring on it. “Logan said he’d be able to identify me with this, I think I’ll be alright.” 

“Are you sure?.. I can stick with you a little longer.” Roman was physically capable of holding his own, if needed, but he wasn’t exactly great under pressure. 

“I’m sure,” he insisted anyways before looking around a bit. “I’ll meet you here, by this shop around sundown. I’m supposed to be in before it’s dark.” 

“Got it. I’ll see you then.” Emile nodded and parted ways with Roman, enjoying the city on his own. 

Roman smiled and tried to find the sort of place Logan might be patrolling. He stuck close, but not too close, to alleyways and kept a decent distance from rough looking taverns. He would’ve been worried if his ring had been any other color, but the shade of blue was too unnatural to be any kind of real gem, so he felt pretty safe wearing it openly as he walked around. 

In fact, nobody really bothered him as he walked around. He was the one who started talking to someone as he passed a child sitting in an alley. 

“Hey...” he began softly, from a non-threatening distance. 

The child looked around a bit before pointing at himself. 

“Yeah. Are you lost? Where are your parents?..” 

“Looking for food... My mother said to stay hidden and she’d find me tonight, like always.” 

That broke Roman’s heart a bit. The poor kid was probably so hungry. “Here, I think I have some food I can give you..” He grabbed his bag and pulled out the food Remus had packed for him, giving the kid some bread and a bit of fruit. 

“Thank you... That’s really nice of you, mister. I should go before the guard sees-” 

“Stop! Stop right there!” 

Roman stood up and looked behind him as he heard a guard approaching, smiling. “Don’t worry, nothing’s going on. I was just giving this kid a bit of food.” 

The guard eyes them suspiciously. “It looks more like the kid was tricking you into giving it your hard earned food,” he accused, trying to reach for the kid. 

Roman pulled the kid behind him and frowned. “What? No, that’s ridiculous. Seriously, leave the kid alone, he didn’t do anything.” 

“Right. I can tell you’re not from this part of town, so I’ll make it simple: These little brats are smarter than you think, you wouldn’t realize that he was tricking you until it’s too late. Besides, he’ll at least get the food he keeps begging for where he’s going.” The guard tried grabbing the kid again. 

This time, Roman took a few steps back, keeping them both out of his reach. He stood a little straighter, knowing there was only one way this guard was leaving. “Clearly, you don’t realize who I am. I am Prince Roman, Crown Prince of this very kingdom and I demand that you leave me and this poor child alone!” 

He sneered. “Right, and I’m his royal reject twin. I can take you in too for that sad excuse of an impersonation you’ve got there.”

The kid ran away as the guard grabbed Roman’s arm, shouting out an apology. 

Roman gritted his teeth and fought his grip, though it quickly proved to be useless. “Let me go! You’re going to seriously regret this!” Not as much as he was going to regret letting his father find out that he wasn’t under Emile’s supervision, but fuck, he was grabbing the prince and dragging him like some random thug! That had to be something bad, right?! 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of boots hitting the brick walls behind them and, eventually, the ground. 

Roman turned and beamed as he saw Logan there, stopping himself before he could call out his name in pure joy. He was there to save him! 

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Logan warned, his voice a bit deeper than where it naturally sat, as usual, in order to better disguise it. 

The guard thought over his options for a few seconds before forcefully pushing Roman into the vigilante before him, hoping to throw him off. 

Instead, Logan reached out with his left arm and caught Roman in it, pulling him close once his sword was drawn.

“Keep up with me, I’ll make it simple,” Logan said, reaching up and tucking Roman’s head down with his left hand before wrapping it back around his shoulders. 

Dear God, how was Roman to be expected to do anything with Logan holding him that close as he protected him during a fight?! He knew he had to do the impossible, but it was more than tough. Roman tried to keep his feet out of Logan’s way without letting himself trip and just fall onto the ground. 

Logan had dealt with worse, plus this guard was far from the toughest opponent he’d ever faced, so he didn’t need to move particularly much as their weapons clashed. In fact, it was only a couple of minutes before Logan managed to knock the sword from the other’s hand, easily scaring him away. 

Once he was gone, Logan let go of Roman and sighed, looking him over. “Are you alright? I would’ve been a little quicker if I’d known it was you.” 

At that point, Roman didn’t see any point in hiding his red his face was, he just nodded. “I’m fine... He grabbed my arm pretty roughly, but that’s it.” 

Logan nodded and sheathed his sword. “Can I take a look to be sure?” 

“Of course.” Roman rolled up his sleeve and showed Logan the dark red spot on his arm where he’d been grabbed. 

“That’s definitely going to bruise... I’m sorry, I should’ve been quicker with checking on the kid. I thought you were just a random idiot, those guards don’t take lightly to people arguing with them.” 

Roman shrugged and put his sleeve back down. “Turns out, I’m your idiot,” he joked, wondering just what that worried tone in Logan’s voice meant about his feelings for him. 

Logan smiled at that. “I guess you are... Now, I think I owe you a date, but first-” He cut himself off as he turned around to look behind him, scanning the area before looking up. “Virgil! I’m not going back up, get down here.” 

“Virgil,” Roman repeated. “So,that’s where you got that fake name,” he said, just loud enough for Logan to hear. 

“What happened to never saying our real names, oh great and mighty one?” Virgil asked as he climbed down from the rooftops, landing a bit less gracefully that Logan presumably did. 

“It’s fine,” Logan assured. “He’s a friend of mine. I need you to take my stuff. Let me know if you need me, obviously, but I’m going to be spending some time with him, okay?” 

“Yeah, whatever,” Virgil responded, looking at Roman pretty intensely. “You look familiar...” 

Logan rolled his eyes and tossed his hat over at Virgil, distracting him. “He just has that kind of face. Don’t worry about it, I promise it’s okay.” 

Virgil sighed. “Yeah, whatever. Just make sure you’re somewhere I can find you, don’t hide too hard from me.” 

“No promises,” Logan joked as he threw his cloak over Virgil’s head. “Thank you. And don’t tell Janus about this.” He walked off, Roman following right beside him. 


	18. Chapter 18

Logan lead Roman back out to the part of town where he should’ve been, back where there were more people and less chance of a pretty boy getting himself into a fight. 

“So.. That was really cool,” Roman piped up after a few minutes. “I mean, you must do that kind of thing all the time, but it was new to me, obviously.” 

Logan nodded. “Thanks. I guess people have always seen me as the cool one between the two of us. It’s like we say all the time, it’s why I have the name,” he joked, smiling a bit to let Roman know that it was okay to laugh at that. 

Roman did just that, nodding as he laughed lightly. “I’m really sorry... If I’d known he’d react so violently, I would’ve just ran away with the kid.” 

“Don't apologize, I know you couldn’t have known better. Plus, protecting people from the guards is kind of my entire thing,” he reminded him. “What I want to know is what were you doing all the way out here? I only came out here because of a hunch, I’m usually up on these rooftops.” 

“Really? With your whole thing being protecting the people, I kind of figured I’d have better luck around somewhere that looked like it needed protecting...” 

Logan shrugged at that. “Technically, you’d be right. You just miscalculated where exactly that would be. A lot of the guards like making very public displays of their power, this is where I am most of the time. You just happened to get lucky.” 

“So... Do you only protect people from the corrupt guards?..” 

“Not only. They just give me the most trouble.” 

Roman just nodded. He knew that there was a power problem with the guards, but for it to be the issue that Logan watched the closest? It had to have been worse than he thought. “I wish I could do more to help... My father has all of the power until I get married and take the throne..” 

There was a split second of hesitation in Logan’s stride, though he was quick to hide it. “Right... I guess it does make sense that the crown prince would get married as soon as he becomes eligible for the throne...” 

Right. Of course Logan didn’t know. “I’m sorry.. I really hope you don’t hate me..” 

“This was never meant to be permanent, I know that. I just... Didn’t know exactly how long I’d have to deal with you.” 

That would’ve hurt if Logan wasn’t so clearly tripping over his words. Roman may have wanted to talk to Logan about Elizabeth, but with the way he was reacting to this news, he figured it was best to change the subject now. “I’m sorry, we’re on our first date and we’re only talking about political stuff. We can talk about that another time. What do you like to do? Maybe we can do something besides walk around on our second date, if you agree to one.” 

Logan subtly took a deep breath to try and calm himself down before responding to the question. “I really don’t do much outside of studying and training. I don’t really enjoy much else.” 

“Really?..” 

Logan just shrugged. 

“Okay... Well, that’s fine. Maybe you can show me how you train. I know that you’re really good with that sword of yours, I only really know the basics of fencing for sport.” 

Logan hummed in thought. “We could definitely try something like that... Typically, I train with my sword at home, but I could figure something out for us to do outside, if you don’t mind.” 

“Of course I don’t mind!” Roman quickly assured. “I just... I don’t know, I’m not really sure how this whole dating thing works, but I’d love to do something you enjoy.” 

Logan nodded. “We could also do something that you choose after that, of course. I don’t know much about this either, but I know I shouldn’t always be getting what I want.” 

Well, there went Roman’s plan for wooing him. “Sure.. I’ll think of something... I do like the arts. You know, music, painting, theatre. Maybe we could go watch a show?” 

“I don’t know..” Logan muttered. “I’m not against that, I’m just not sure how it would look for two men to go watch something together.” 

Roman hummed in thought. “Well... One of us could always be disguised as a woman.” 

Logan stopped in his tracks, immediately jumping into defensive mode. 

For once, Roman quickly caught on. “Oh, no! No, I meant myself,” he quickly assured. “I just... I’m sorry, I could’ve phrased that better,” he said with an awkward laugh. 

Logan visibly relaxed and nodded, continuing to walk. “I’m sorry for getting so defensive.” 

“You don’t need to apologize, I get that it would’ve been pretty offensive for me to make you dress up like that.. It was a dumb idea anyways, we don’t need to watch any kind of shows.” 

“It wasn’t a bad idea, just not your best.”

Roman grinned. “What has been my best idea?” 

Logan hummed in thought. “Well, considering how short your list of good ideas has been,” he joked, making Roman roll his eyes. “I’d say that your best idea has been listening to anything I say, though I may be a bit biased.” 

Roman let out a small laugh. “Well, I guess you’re not wrong. I guess you could say that you bring out the best in me,” he hummed, subtly brushing his hand against Logan’s for a second.

Logan pulled his hand away and crossed his arms. “If we weren’t in an area where such signs of affection could be dangerous, I may have linked my pinky finger with yours. Admittedly, the main reason I pulled away was out of caution. I simply cannot get in trouble with the guards.” 

Of course he couldn’t, he was the vigilante in charge of keeping the guards in check. “Sorry...” 

“Don’t be. You did your best to be subtle about it, I’m just being especially cautious.” 

“Right...” Roman smiled a bit. “So, you said my idea about going to the theater wasn’t my worst idea yet, so what has it been?” 

Logan hummed in thought before shrugging. “I’m not sure you’ve had a worst idea yet.” 

“Is that a compliment?” 

“I... Think it is.” 

Roman grinned. “If it weren’t such a bad idea, I’d kiss your cheek.” 

“If it weren’t such a bad idea, I’d let you.” Logan smiled a bit. 

Roman’s grin grew and it took every ounce of self control to not to lean over and do just that. 

“So, what do you do for fun? I already talked about my hobbies.” 

“Oh, it’s a variety of things.. My father did his best to keep me busy before I was old enough to work, so I’ve got some skills, but I mainly like talking to my friends.” 

Logan nodded. “Do you have many friends besides Emile?” 

Roman laughed awkwardly. “Well, no... It’s really just Emile, my brother, and my friend from the carriage, Patton.” 

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Logan assured. “I mean, I only really know my brothers, Remy, Janus, and Virgil. Just because you’re the prince doesn’t mean that you need to be in a huge social circle.” 

God, Roman wished he could take Logan’s hand. “You need to stop making me like you if you want to get rid of me someday.” 

Logan was thinking the exact same thing. 

After just talking for a while longer, the two of them headed down to the shop where Roman agreed to meet Emile, the other already waiting for them. 

“Hey there,” he greeted with a smile. “You must be the Logan I’ve heard so much about.” 

“I guess I am,” Logan muttered, almost surprised that Roman had talked about him at all. “And you must be Emile. Remy’s talked a lot about you.” 

Emile’s face went red at the mention of his love. “Good things, I’d hope?” 

“Strictly so.” 

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said with a grin. “I hope you two enjoyed your afternoon. I’d tell you about the places where Remy and I sneak away to, but some of them are a little too... Adult.” Some of the hidden brothels were understanding enough to offer them a private place to hang out. 

Logan shrugged. “I’m sure we’ll find our way, but I do appreciate you escorting him out here safely. I can’t thank you enough for helping us like that...” 

Emile waved him off. “Seriously, don’t mention it. You know very well that I’m in a similar spot with Remy, of course I’m going to help. And I know Remy would help if you needed it.”

“Logan,” someone called from a few feet away, the voice growing closer as it called out a second time. “Logan!” 

He furrowed his eyebrows and looked back into the crowd, quickly spotting Virgil as he approached them. 

“Hey, sorry to interrupt, but there’s another situation not too far away,” he managed to say through his panting. “I need you now.” 

“Got it.” Logan looked around and spotted an alley not too far, grabbing Virgil’s arm and dragging him towards it. 

Roman frowned and looked back at them before looking at Emile. “Mind if I... I mean, I won’t be long, I’ll be back before you know it.” 

“No, of course,” Emile insisted. “I’ll be right here, just be back quickly.” 

Roman nodded and ran off, following them. By the time he got to the alley, both Logan and Virgil were in costume and were about to run back out when they saw him waiting there. 

“Logan,” Virgil warned. 

“I know,” he sighed. “It won’t even be a minute, don’t worry, just wait up high.” 

Virgil rolled his eyes and groaned before looking around and spotting a way up, climbing onto the roof and giving his friend a moment. 

“I’m sorry,” Roman said as soon as he was gone. “I just didn’t get a chance to say goodbye and I wanted to tell you that I had a really nice time with you and-” Roman was cut off by Logan taking his hand. 

“Roman, stop talking so much.” He took off his hat before raising Roman’s hand to his lips and kissing the back of his knuckles. “It’s not a kiss on the cheek, but I don’t need you messing with my emotions seconds before I go fight someone. I’ll see you next time.” He squeezed his hand one last time before letting go and putting his hat back on, climbing up the same way Virgil did at nearly the same speed. Virgil wasn’t the best at landing, but he was a nimble climber. 

Roman sighed as he watched him leave and held his hand against his chest. He knew he was one for a cheesy romance, but this thought may have been taking it a little too far. This vigilante truly did steal his heart. 


End file.
